Dark Moon
by Wu the Stoic
Summary: AU. Quatre is a unicorn turned human, forced into the world of man. Will he ever learn to trust them, and will Trowa ever learn to open his heart? Re-write from a fic I wrote under Dark Neko Shinigami many years ago. 3x4 1x2
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:  
I wrote this fic under the title Unicorn in the Moonlight, under my old name Dark Neko Shinigami, back in early 2000. If you'd like to read the original, you can find it there, though my planned re-write is going to go in a different direction. I plan to be more thorough with this, take my time with it and actually _finish_ this one. Regretfully, I doubt the email I used for that account is even accessible anymore, and my failed attempts to get back into said account have proved futile. When I left the Gundam Wing fandom, I took the plot for this story with me to another fandom, applying it to different characters. However, it just didn't sit as well for there as it did here, so, I decided to do a re-write. I don't know if anyone will read this, or even enjoy it, but this plot is still so dear to my heart I just want to write it again. I hope you _do_ enjoy it. Long live Gundam Wing. =)

Wu

The sunlight was barely touching the tops of the highest trees when Trowa pulled his cap low and gathered his bow and quiver of arrows. He was small for his age, only nine summers had passed since his birth. Eight of those had been without his parents, a terrible fire having left just he and his older sister, Catherine to live alone in a stone house two miles east from the main village. The stone cabin had been abandoned for a long time, and since it was so far from town, Cathy, at her tender age of five, had taken on the role of adult. She didn't have to beg, as packages and food were left during the night by the single door of the old homestead. It's how it was on Dark Mountain. You took care of your own, even if you did it under the dark of night, with no one to see your act of charity.

The older ladies took Cathy in, taught her how to properly clean and sew during the days, making sure she would have the skills she needed as she grew into a woman. Their husbands or sons would take Trowa into the woods, showing him how to track game, how to fish, field dress animals and butcher meat. They were both quick studies and adapted well to their new life. There was hardly time for them to be children.

Trowa adapted well to a schedule once he was able to head out alone. Supplies came through once a month, and he was able to put up a stall and sell game, sometimes eggs and butter when they were in surplus, to buy what they needed while the caravan was there for the week. When they pulled out, he gathered his cart and pulled home the items more desperately needed during the winter months.

"Be careful, Trowa!" Cathy called cheerfully from the door. She braced herself against the doorframe, grimacing at the bite of the early winter wind. "I love you! Don't forget to bring home some cloth so I can make you some new pants, okay? And if you can, find a pair of boots, your old ones are wearing out!" She stuck her arm out and waved at him for good measure. "I think you're finally due for a growth spurt!" Her laughter, full of light and life, reached his ears briefly before it was cut away by another harsh gust of wind.

Trowa tucked his chin down, cutting his eye to her. It was the only answer he would give as he pulled his wagon down the old dirt road, heading for the main thoroughfare to the village. The trauma of so long ago, that horrible night that left Trowa with more nightmares of his parents than actual memories, had damaged his heart. He didn't dare let anyone in, it was enough that Cathy had managed to squeeze into the small confines, but he wondered; was there enough room for her? His heart often felt so small.

::Iria?::

::Yes, Quatre?:: she answered the mind link.

::What… _is_ that?:: The small foal pressed close to his sister while they watched, hidden, as the young boy trudged down the dirt road, the hand wagon bumping along behind him.

::That's a human child, Quatre,:: came the gentle response.

::I didn't know they were so… small.::

::They come in all shapes and sizes, just like us,:: she said as she lifted her head higher. Trowa was just rounding a bend in the road, and was beginning to disappear.

::But not like us, right?::

Shaking out her mane, she turned her head, gently nuzzling the foal at the cheek. ::No. Not like us. Come, it's almost time for bed, the sun is almost over the tree line, and besides, Hilde should be back soon.::

Hilde was her daughter, weaned barely a week before Quatre's mother was slaughtered by hunters for her precious alicorn. Foolish mortals, they never seemed to catch on that once the life force behind the horn was gone, so were the so called mystical powers. Iria had taken over the role of mother for her only brother, nursing him as she had Hilde, often getting between the two when her daughter's jealousy began to rise and sibling rivalry reared its ugly head. Hilde wasn't so sure she liked having a baby brother butting in to her mother/daughter bonding time.

::Come, Quatre, let's go.::

Quatre lifted a long, slender foreleg and paused, unsure of what to do next. He wanted to see the child closer, and since he was hornless, he'd be safe. He turned his head and gave her a questioning look, but Iria only shook her head. ::Let him be,:: she said gently.

::Yes, Iria,:: Quatre said obediently and followed her into the thick forest. They paused by a brook, warmed upstream by the sun, and while she drank, he pressed close to her side and suckled. Her shoulder twitched as his little bottle brush tail flipped up and down, then side to side as he tried to tuck closer to her. The closer he got to her side, she had learned during his short life, the more tired he was. When he was sated, she tucked him and Hilde into the hollow trunk of an old tree that had forgotten to fall after it had died, and during the day, kept watch over her foals.

Quatre lowered his head, the smooth movement sending moonlight to glint along his alicorn. Hilde snorted once, shook out her dark mane and lowered her head as well. Tails flagged as the two unicorns, one the color of the moon above, the other the color of night, moved towards one another with soft, floating trots. Their hooves made splendid whispers upon the soft spring grass. Iria gave a soft, mental groan and cocked one hip. They were adults now, she was not going to break up another bought of sibling rivalry. Besides, it was good for Quatre to start asserting himself and break her daughter's habit of running over him.

::You're not going to bully me anymore, Hilde,:: Quatre said, narrowing his cerulean eyes.

Hilde snorted in response. ::What are you going to do about it, squirt?:: she countered as they began to side pass one another in a circle. Necks arched, nostrils flared and Quatre pinned his ears. He hated being called squirt, he hated being reminded of his small stature. Tossing her head with a hearty laugh, Hilde gave a half rear and lunged forward towards him. Quatre bolted to the side and then swung around, meeting his adopted sister as she began to bounce her rear at him. However, when he moved at the last moment, he had put them too close for her to get a good kick in. With a squeal, she thrust her hind leg out, catching him in the hock. Quatre staggered away, one eye squinting shut with pain.

::Hilde!:: Iria gasped as she uncocked her hip and began to walk towards them. When she pinned her ears back in a silent gesture of scolding, her daughter lowered her head, her own ears lowered in submission as her mother approached.

::I'm sorry, Mama, Quatre…:: she said. She had been lectured time and again about striking out at legs or joints, had been warned about the dangers of those injuries and how long they took to heal. Quatre, taking the opportunity for sympathy, kept the hind leg up.

::Quatre,:: Iria reprimanded gently. She watched as he lowered his leg, but brought it back up to rest the toe of his hoof to the ground.

::Sorry,:: he apologized. ::But it _does_ really hurt.:: Once again, he pinned his ears to his sister, who continued to stand with her head down, her ears still held low in submission. Iria took a step closer to reassure her foals when the baying of a hound broke the peace of the night. Three heads shot up, the whites of eyes gleaming with the silver light of the moon.

::Run,:: Iria said, the cold dread reaching out to them in the mind link. ::Hilde, Quatre, _run_ , it's hunters!::

::Mama?:: Hilde asked, taking an uncertain step towards the older unicorn. For a moment, Iria was revisited with the terror of the loss of her own mother. Such fear Quatrine must have felt, with Quatre, newborn and weak and hidden in the thick grass as she was pounced upon unsuspectingly. She had led the hunters away while Iria and Hilde stood in the shadows, helpless to do anything but watch. The humans had fallen upon her so quickly, and she begged Iria to watch herself and the children. They had to survive, she made her daughter promise. Iria had lowered her head, not wanting to watch the final act, but holding her mother's eyes as the last line of comfort before the light went out in them. The attack had been so fast, there had been so much blood, so much pain.

::RUN!:: Iria cried out, rearing towards her daughter and adopted son. Hilde reared in return and spun, running to Quatre who only looked at Iria in fear, and she, too, realized why he wasn't moving.

::Quatre… your leg…::

::Go!:: he tossed his head. ::We won't be far behind you.:: He turned and touched muzzles with Hilde who held regret in her eyes for the first time in her life.

::Hilde… you must go,:: he said gently.

::Forgive me, Quatre,:: she whispered. ::Forgive me…::

::Go,:: he said gently, nuzzling her before limping forward to herd her towards her mother if that was what it took to get her moving. ::I'll be alright, you must go!::

A hound bayed, perhaps the first one they heard. It was closer now. Iria leapt forward, darting through the underbrush with her daughter behind her. Hilde stopped once, turning to look at her brother over her shoulder once more, her eyes pleading.

 _I forgive you_ , Quatre's eyes answered her back. She lowered her head, and then slowly turned forward, where she galloped behind her mother.

Once they were out of the range of the mind link, Quatre lowered his head. _This really hurts_ , he thought to himself as he put his hoof on the ground and applied weight. He let out a soft grunt, and the hounds began to bay with earnest. Pricking his ears forward, Quatre curiously waited to see what would come out from the overgrown undergrowth. For humans, they were good, the only things really making sounds were their hunting dogs.

Time began to slowly stretch out, if it meant anything at all to the unicorn. He tilted his head slightly, small snowy ears still perked forward. Above him, a night bird called, and then burst from the boughs above him. It obviously saw what he couldn't yet. He stretched his neck cautiously forward, his nostrils flared as he scented the area. Bushes were rustling, the dogs had picked up their scents. Closer now they came, he could smell the distinct scents of two humans. Two bedraggled hounds burst out of a large patch of ferns, baying and bristling as they found their quarry. Quatre lowered his head, and a moment later, an arrow sliced through the night, striking the tree next to him with a sound of thunder.

 _Not yet… not yet… don't lead them away yet… just a little clos—_ pain blossomed in his chest, just at the junction of the right shoulder, and he let out a terrible low cry of pain. Staggering, his blood dripping from the wound, Quatre began to back away, limping on his hind right as the kick inflicted wound throbbed. Hilde had hit him just right. He forgave her.

One of the humans let out a war cry, jumping into the air with his fists pumping madly. Even through the pain, Quatre could only stare at him with a morbid sense of curiosity. So these were humans. The last one he had seen had been ten years ago, that child who had walked along the road with his wagon. Could this be him?

 _No_ , he thought to himself. _These are much older._

"Get the rope! Get the rope!" the larger of the two began to cry out. Quatre groaned as he backed away. He tossed his head and regretted it, the arrow wound pulling at his chest, and then turned. He ran as hard as he dared through the underbrush, darting between trees as the dogs gave chase. If only they would stop barking.

 _Traitors_! he called out to the curs.

His breath was coming in short, hot gasps, and he was growing frustrated. One dog would chase behind him, but the other one was steering him. He tried not to panic, but to get away, try to find a place to hide. The road was coming up on his right, the road that he and his family had crossed before Quatre and Hilde had decided to spar. This was good news for the girls, though; the further he got from them, the better. If he had to die, he wished to ensure their safety.

A nip to his heel caused him to rear and buck in mid stride, and he felt the meaty crunch of the dog's head as the hoof made home its blow. The dog yelped, rolled and lie dead on the forest floor. Quatre felt a flood of relief mixed with sorrow. _I'm sorry… but I don't want to die_ …

The road was now a few feet away, smooth and even, and he eyed it with dread as the sound of approaching hoof beats reached his ears. Two worn, weary horses were now flanking him, the corners of their mouths pulled back painfully as the reins were held back with the iron grips of poor riders. The two men had no mercy as they continued to spur the poor beasts on, and Quatre had compassion on them for the way they rolled their eyes into their heads. So focused on the two miserable horses, he wasn't aware of the rope as it went over his head, not until it was pulled taut. His feet went out from under him before he landed hard on his side with a loud groan, his body skidding along the smooth, dirt road. The shaft of the arrow snapped in two with the hard contact to the ground, and Quatre trembled in fear and pain. He lifted his head once and was choked as the larger of the men snatched the rope back.

"Oh no you don't!" he declared in victory. "Johnathon!"

"Yes, Michael?" Johnathon grinned as he pulled his nag up to Quatre.

"I believe we are going to be very rich men."

"I believe you are right!"

Quatre lowered his head, his mouth opened as he fought for precious air. Steam shuddered weakly out of his nostrils in the cool of the early morning, his feet kicking lightly. What was it that old Keeper had told him once? That had been so long ago, a forever ago it felt like. He felt it was important to grasp the memory, something in his heart told him that it could save his life. He closed his eyes, dragging the memory up by force and then relaxed.

 _Son, if man ever catches you, you shift your form to something they don't like_ , the Keeper had warned. Quatre had gazed up to him curiously.

 _What is it that they don't like?_ He was naïve to the ways of humans. They were more a passing curiosity to him. They had killed his mother and so he had no desire to ever be in their paths.

 _Themselves_ the Keeper had answered. _Man seems to abhor himself more than anything, it seems._

Themselves.

With the last remaining bit of strength, Quatre focused as hard as he could. He didn't have much time, the men were approaching him, leering and laughing. He felt warmth spread through his body, but it was gone as soon as he let out a gasp and then pulled in a long whoop of fresh air. Michael had released the tight grip the rope held on his neck.

"Did you… did you see that?" Johnathon asked in surprise at the faint shimmer of light that had emanated from Quatre. He pointed a grubby finger at the pitiful creature sprawled on the ground at his feet.

"I did," Michael frowned. He squatted down slowly, one knee popping loudly.

Quatre trembled again, and once more, focused as hard as he could. Again, the warmth began to spread through his body, but he lost the concentration when he felt a hand grip his mane. Opening his eye, he rolled it back, moaning when he saw the knife. Michael was grinning and speaking, but with his heartbeat pounding in his ears, he couldn't understand what was being said. As the sharp blade sliced through his long, heavy mane, Quatre panicked and forced with all his might, and with the last ounce of his strength, shifted beneath a blinding light.

Michael cried out, his trophy, the handful of mane, was still clutched tightly in his hand as he staggered away from the odd spectacle before him. When the light died down, both men surged forward, sure their prize would shake the rope away from its elegant neck, rise and dart away. What they didn't expect to see was a youth, naked and wounded, lying at their feet.

"No…" Michael moaned, and then looked at the mane in his hand with wonder. He cut his eyes back to Quatre. "No…"

"Michael?" Johnathon shifted nervously and then looked around, licking his lips as his adrenaline rush began to fade. "It… we caught us a unicorn, right, Michael?"

"We did," Michael growled, shoving the mane beneath his friends' nose. "The sneaky bastard shifted his form on us!" Turning, he directed his growing rage towards the slender body at his feet. "That's not fair!" he cried out, and then began to stomp as hard as he could.

The last thing Quatre felt, before blessed unconsciousness claimed him, was agonizing pain.

 _Humans are_ _ **bad**_. his mind groaned before darkness took him.


	2. Chapter 2

Auburn brows furrowed before Trowa slowly opened his eyes with a grimace. It was freezing in his room and that only meant one thing; Cathy had felt it was time to open the windows and let in a bit of fresh air. Spring fever always bit her hard when the morning sun came pouring in through the kitchen window with the promise of a warm day it didn't _always_ deliver.

"Cathy?" he called out.

"Yes, Trowa?" she answered. He could hear her bustling about in the kitchen, mostly likely starting breakfast. Today was the day he was to head to the village to do his monthly trading.

"The windows. They're up."

"Of course they are, it's a beautiful morning! I thought it would be nice to air the house out. And what a beautiful day for you to travel to town! You'll not freeze yourself silly like you did last month!"

Trowa had lifted his head while she spoke, but let it fall back onto his pillow. Freezing _last_ month? He grunted as he closed his eyes. He was freezing _now_.

"Come on, little brother, rise and shine!" came the good natured call through the deerskin flap that served as a door to his room. "I've already milked the cow and turned her out into the field. We didn't get a lot of eggs this morning, but that's okay, we still have plenty to go on. I'll boil a dozen to send with you so you will have something to eat for a couple of days. And cheese and some ham. I don't want you to starve on me."

Trowa sighed as he braced himself for the cold, and then shoved the covers off his long body. He rose from the bed, his lips pulled into a grimace of displeasure as his bare feet made contact with the wood floor.

"You know I hunt for my food while I'm gone," he stated as he lifted a pair of doeskin leggings and stepped into them. He tied them at the waist, and then sat on the foot of his bed to put on his socks and boots.

"I know, but indulge me a little, I like taking care of you. And don't forget to make your bed after you get dressed!"

"You mother me."

"Is that so wrong?" Cathy asked as she pulled out a fresh loaf of bread.

Trowa didn't answer. Part of him wanted to tell her that he was holding her back, keeping her from a family of her own. A husband and children to shower her affection upon. The other half of him jealously clung to her, afraid she would leave him for a husband and children of her own. He was alone in all ways, but one. His sister. He couldn't bear the thought of her abandonment. He felt bitter and selfish, but it was the truth. She was the only person who had managed to wedge into his heart and he didn't have the strength to let her go.

"Trowa?"

"I'm coming," he said. "Still getting dressed."

"Good, I don't want you to eat a cold meal. Do you want me to hook the horse up for you?"

Ducking through the deerskin flap, Trowa simply shook his head no. "You've done more than enough this morning. Do you have enough firewood? To last the week?" he asked as he sat down at the table.

"I've got enough to last me until you come back from your _next_ trip into town," she said as she joined him. She then said the blessing, and they began to eat.

* * *

"It's been a week," Michael said as they stood over the bedraggled human body lying next to a tree. They had kept him tied, with the rope around his neck, but Quatre had been too badly injured to even think of freeing himself. The wound on his shoulder was festering; the men hadn't even bothered taking the arrow out until two days ago, thinking that perhaps that was causing the slender blond from being able to return to his proper form. When that didn't work for them as planned, they decided to withdraw from him the meager supplies of food and water they gave him.

His condition was rapidly deteriorating. He was filthy, dehydrated, covered in bruises and welts from beatings they gave him out of their own frustrated greed. Some were open and weeping. His breathing had grown ragged within the past twelve hours, and it sounded like boulders crashing together in his chest with each deep breath he took. The men decided to stop wasting their time and cut their loss; there was no more opportunity to be had with the blond, so they gathered up their gear and began to pack up.

"Let the wild dogs have him, then," Michael had growled as he packed up the last of their tent. He turned one last look over the pitiful creature and heaved a great sigh. "At least I still have his mane to remember him by."

"Aye," Johnathon said as he climbed into the wagon. A smack of the reins and the horses surged forward, pulling the horrible men away from their horrible deed.

The sun climbed higher into the sky and Quatre opened his eyes when the warmth caressed his face. _They must think I'm dead_ , he thought as he trekked the clouds above him with one half opened eye. The other was swollen shut. _They would have come back for me by now… Iria, Hilde… I miss you, I just hope you're safe. You're right, men_ _ **are**_ _bad. They aren't to be trusted, and now I see why._ He coughed once, weakly, and then tried to shift to a more comfortable position. He felt a slight tickle on his shoulder where a butterfly landed briefly before moving towards his right hand. He could feel the flutter of the wings brush his fingers before it dipped and swayed towards a growth of alfalfa growing further up the field. A warm breeze tried to ruffle his hair, but it was too dirty and matted to do more than flop listlessly against his forehead.

 _Man has taken over our world… it's not safe to be a unicorn anymore… if I find them, I'll tell Iria and Hilde that they must be human. It's the only way for us to survive. We have to be what humans hate the most, we have to blend in, or else… there will no longer_ _ **be**_ _unicorns left in the world. We are only what God made us to be, we aren't_ _ **that**_ _magical, we can't bring people back from the dead, or grant them wishes like genies. You can't spin silver out of our manes and tails and our alicorns lose what gifts we do have when we're killed. Man can't even be kind to his fellow man. In order for us to survive, we have to be… them._

Turning his head over his shoulder, Quatre let out a soft sigh as he began to fight to survive for the first time since his capture. Drawing his right leg up, he slowly eased over, crying out in pain as he rolled his wounded body until he could reach out with his arm. He wished he could better see what he looked like. Living in a new human body wasn't fun or easy, and he wasn't sure if he had even gotten it right when he changed, but it was done. Those two men hadn't seemed as if he were growing a spare head out of his back, so that meant he must have gotten it right.

 _I have to… fight. I can't give in_ Quatre coached himself as he fought to get up onto his new hands and knees. That seemed a far more familiar way of carrying himself, anyway. His shoulder groaned and a mixture of puss and blood began to break through the weeping scab. _I have… I have to…_

He collapsed onto his chest, his face in the grass as exhaustion took over.

 _I have to live._

* * *

It was early afternoon, and Trowa was busy packing up his stall in a slow, methodical manner. Now and again he'd cast a glance up to people who passed by, but otherwise, he was satisfied to ignore them. He had sold most of his goods the first three days, and then hunted to supply fresh game for the remainder of the week. Cathy had insisted that he buy a spare pair of boots while he was there, but the ones he had were just fine. Instead, he bought her a large bolt of cloth so she could make herself something nice. She always put him first; it felt good to shower her with gifts when he was able. Giving nice things to her made him feel almost human, in a way; he could understand why she felt the need to shower him with gifts and affection.

Clearing his throat, he pushed the warm feelings aside. Never get too close. When you got close, that's when people left you, and the void their absence created was colder than the night sky. And just as big.

He finished breaking down his market stall and hauled the pieces of lumber to his wagon. His Belgian, Oscar, stood patiently in his harness, shaking his mane as if to tell Trowa to hurry. Trowa walked back, gathered up the blanket he used to display his wares upon and folded it up, stashing it along the inside of the wagon before securing his portable stall with ropes. "Almost time, Oscar, just be patient," he said gently. Oscar tossed his head once, the metal on his harness jingling pleasantly. Walking to the front, he mounted the wagon and reached down to fish the reins from their clasp. Oscar lifted his head, his fuzzy ears perked forward. Yes, it was time to go home and when Trowa kissed to him, he stepped out, his head held high as he navigated through the crowd. When they got away from the busy town streets, onto the road that would take them home, he lifted his large feet and broke into a trot, his head bobbing in good nature.

* * *

Fingers. That's what they had called these curious things. Quatre lifted his hand and with his good eye, studied the odd digits before letting it flop back down to the ground. He had tried to move a bit more, but the rope around his neck had tightened when he eased too far away from the tree. That, and the agony his new body was experiencing, kept him from trying to explore too much. A wave of despair had crashed over him around noon as the early April sun began to pinken his skin. He was trapped here. He would either die of fever, or starve.

His stomach wasn't even rumbling anymore. When they thought of it, the men had fed him stale bread and something they called mead. The mead was horrible, but Quatre had no choice but to drink, his body was screaming for sustenance. He slowly drug his palm along the fresh new grass that was tickling his bare side. His new hands were like his old muzzle, their sense of touch extraordinary. With a little bit of effort, he managed to pinch a single head of alfalfa and brought it to his mouth. He wasn't expecting the result. Normally sweet and satisfying in his true form, it was bitter and course in this new human mouth. His face scrunched as he spat the offending object out with regret. He loved alfalfa. A pleasant memory surfaced as he turned his head towards the road. He and Hilde would go in search of clover on purpose, just so they could return to Iria, slobbering like rabid dogs. Or, they would turn on each other to see who could wipe more froth on the other. Since Hilde's coat was dark, Quatre always seemed to get the better results on her.

He broke the thought away, his hand coming up to touch his face. His mouth was doing something… funny, on its own accord. Stretched wide, as if in a grimace, but that couldn't be right. _I don't feel new pain_ , he reasoned to himself as his fingers continued to probe at the first smile to ever grace his angelic new face.

* * *

Trowa sat, slightly slouched, in the middle of the driver's seat, the reins held firmly in his hand. He was tired; traveling always seemed to wear away at him. At least by the time the moon was up, he'd be home. He propped his right foot upon the ledge and let out a heavy sigh as he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. Oscar continued to plod along, and as evening fell around them, what warmth the day had managed to bring began to slip away. Faint jets of steam shot from his nostrils as he lifted his head once more, then he tossed it and side-stepped on the road, letting out a nicker as he came to a halt.

Trowa frowned and lifted the reins. "C'mon, we need to get home," he said. Oscar was about to turn five that very spring, so the young man concluded that he was just feeling his youth along with his anticipation to get home. His head was up and his attention on a hill to their left. Trowa narrowed his eyes and wrapped the reins around the hook. "What is it, boy? Wolves?"

A cool breeze lifted the auburn hair from his eyes as Trowa reached behind him to gather his bow and quiver of arrows. It would be no use running from a pack of wolves. They were too fast for the heavy draft and wagon, and he was too close to home, they would only follow him _if_ they managed to get away. Oscar nickered again, as if greeting a friend and pulled at his harness. Trowa set the brake and stood, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. With the light fading, shadows were encroaching; hiding places were dangerous things with teeth could easily hide. He nicked an arrow into the bow and pulled it, the sinew and wood creaking in a comforting sound to his ears as he narrowed his eyes.

Movement, subtle, just in the umbra beneath the large tree. Last winter's tall grass shifted, stirred again, and Trowa stiffened his back and took aim.

* * *

::I don't **need** a keeper, Wufei!:: Duo warned through the mind link as he lowered his head and shook his mane at the elder keeper.

"Yes, you do," Wufei said. "You're an orphan, you're reckless and with Quatre missing, we have reason to believe that hunters are back. Iria and Hilde were very traumatized by their experience with their recent encounter with Man and had there been a Keeper with them, they would have all returned. Safe and sound."

::I can take care of myself!::

"Three took on Man, two came back," Wufei reminded him as he leaned his back against an old tree. He honestly loved all of his charges; however Duo always made him question his sanity. Never had a colt been as high-strung and independent as this dark bay rebel.

::I'm sorry that had to happen to Quatre,:: Duo lowered his head for a moment. ::He was my best friend, but… maybe I can go find him and bring him home.::

"That's foolish and you know it, Duo," Wufei said. He fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb.

::He might not be dead.::

"If he isn't, then I'll get word. _If_ he is alive, _I_ will go and get him. Not you." Wufei leaned forward, pushing his back away from the tree. "And yes, you are getting a Keeper. I have a youth who needs the experi…" he sighed as Duo turned and began to trot away from him, head and tail held high.

::The mind link has a range of up to a kilometer and a half,:: Wufei smiled. ::His name is Heero. You'll know him when you meet him. I expect you to be on your _best_ behavior. I saw that, Duo.::

Duo snorted and then began to gallop as fast as his nimble legs could take him.

Wufei smirked and lifted his staff, spinning it casually by his side as he walked along the meadow. There was a spring to his step and a devious little smirk slowly pulling up the corners of his lips.

* * *

Duo stood at the edge of the forest, right where the wild apple trees grew. They were already in bud and as far as the young unicorn was concerned, fall couldn't get here fast enough. His mind turned to a sad note. This was where he, Quatre and Hilde would congregate. Taking turns, they would rear up, putting their front feet upon the slender trunks of the trees and rake their alicorns through the branches above, their reward, the sweet crispy fruit. Now, Quatre was gone. Duo cast his glance up to the branches, laughter from his memory echoing through the haze of years.

Quatre was the unicorn that people always painted. White as snow with pale eyes and an ivory horn. His body was lithe and agile, but powerful. However in build, they were all the same. They just came in different colors, contrary to the legends that Man had ignorantly tacked onto them. Duo closed his eyes and leaned against the tree, his ears drooping forward lightly. Wufei had sent the girls, all of them, far into the forest for their own safety. Iria was nearly mad with grief over the loss of her charge and Hilde had fretted herself into colic. Wufei had sat with her for two nights, doctoring her and holding her head in his lap until it passed.

"Duo." The voice held the emotion of a freshly tossed stone, but at the mention of his name, Duo's head snapped up, his ears swiveling back and forth.

::How did you find me?::

"It wasn't hard," came the bland and no-nonsense answer. "You're easier to track than a drunken giant. It's time to go back to the glade."

::I don't want to go back.::

"It's for your own good."

::Where are you?::

"If you can't locate me, then you _really_ need to go back to the glade," the young man answered as he stepped out of the shadows.

Duo pinned his ears back and lifted his head. Just in case the ears weren't projecting his disgust loud enough, he let out a derisive snort to boot.

"I'm not playing games," Heero said as he began to walk forward. "Come on, if we leave now, we can get home before dawn."

He was dressed in a pair of soft leggings and a doeskin tunic, the sleeves cut away to reveal long and powerful arms. His tan moccasins were silent as he stepped through the forest undergrowth that was busy trying to get a head start on the treetop canopy that would do its best to choke it out in a few weeks. A staff was fixed to his back by a strip of leather that crossed his chest. There was something attached to the head that made pleasant jingling sounds.

::I'm not going,:: Duo said stubbornly as he held his ground.

"Do you really think you have a choice?" Heero asked. There was a slight hint of frustration, just on the outside of his tone, and it made Duo give an internal grin. Already under this one's skin.

Duo took a step back as Heero reached out to grasp his mane.

"Duo," Heero warned. He lunged forward, but Duo was faster as he scrabbled backwards. He tossed his head, his amethyst eyes sparkling with mischief while he sized the new Keeper up.

::Well, Wufei _did_ say you needed the experience,:: he taunted.

Heero cut his steely gaze up to Duo, determination etched onto his face as he began to stalk forward. At each step, Duo moved back nimbly, tossing his head now and again in a manner that said he was ready and waiting for anything this humanoid could toss at him. Heero's shoulders stiffened and as suddenly as Duo wheeled about so he could bolt forwards through the forest instead of staggering blindly backwards, Heero pounced like a cat and gripped Duo by the mane. Before the unicorn could swing his head around and jab Heero with his alicorn, the young Keeper used the long chestnut mane to help propel himself upon Duo's back. For one long moment, they stared at each other. Duo into Heero's eyes with a look of flabbergasted shock. Heero with a smug look that matched his equally smug grin.

And then, Duo gave a half rear and exploded into the forest at top speed, Heero clinging to the long mane for dear life.


	3. Chapter 3

Strong, slender legs gripped Duo's sides as he bolted blindly through the forest. Heero held on, double fistfuls of that long, unruly mane clenched tightly into his fists. Duo bounced over a fallen log, landing harder than usual in his quest to dislodge his Keeper, but Heero only gripped tighter and lowered his upper body, trying to mold close to Duo's neck.

::Get _off_ me, you brute!::

" _I'm_ the brute?" Heero grunted as they rounded a wide curve in the path. His breath was coming in harsh pants from the hard, uneven gait he was currently trying to sit.

Pinning his ears back, Duo eased off the trail and into the dense forest, his goal to scrape Heero off and continue on to his freedom. He found the perfect tree, wide as Heero's thigh with a nasty looking bough that dipped lazily down. He began to slowly aim towards it, but Heero was onto the trick. He threw himself over to the right, his back against Duo's ribs, leg twisted around quickly so he could dig his heel onto the top of the sorrel rump and he held on for dear life. Seconds later Duo careened off the tree with a loud grunt of pain.

Nonplussed, Duo aimed for a tree to his right, but Heero was too quick. Pushing off the ground with his free-hanging foot, Heero once again managed to bounce over Duo's back in an attempt to avoid serious bodily harm. Once again, Duo bounced off the tree with a groan.

"I'm _not_ letting you get away," Heero ground out as he managed to sit astride the unicorns back once again. Duo answered by throwing his hinds legs as high into the air, mid-gallop, as he could.

"You'll have to do better than that," Heero informed him. Already the form beneath him was breathing heavily from the exertion of throwing a tantrum while carrying his first rider ever. Duo shook his head and suddenly slammed to a halt, his hooves dragging trails on the moist forest floor. With a satisfied squeal, he felt Heero unseat and go up and over his neck. However, the sound of anger replaced triumph as the Keeper refused to relinquish hold on his mane. Heero had landed hard on his left knee, bolts of pain causing his vision to dim around the edges. He grimaced as he fought hard to keep his consciousness and without thinking, he reached up and gripped the alicorn.

"I _said_ ," he ground out once again. "That you'll have to do _better_ than that."

Duo gave another half rear before backing up once again, dragging Heero with him.

::Leggo my horn! Leggo!:: Shaking his head was of no use, Heero's grip was too strong and the Keeper was furious.

"If you want to do this the hard way," Heero grunted as he put weight on his injured knee. "We can do this the hard way."

::Fine!:: Duo announced, his amethyst eyes blazing. ::Let's play it the hard way!::

"Challenge accepted," Heero growled as he reached up, gripped Duo's left ear and twisted it hard.

* * *

Trowa was motionless as stood, the bow string pulled taut. A soft gust of wind whispered across his face, stirring the hair covering his right eye. He breathed once, held it, released it slowly and then suddenly lifted the arrow to point towards the darkening sky. A hand appeared, reaching up through the grass, questing. Oscar nickered again, shifting in his buggy shafts and Trowa removed the arrow, taking the time he used to tuck it back into the quiver to better get a handle on the situation.

"Who's there?" He used a voice that was strong and full of authority as the fact that this could be a trap still gripped the baser part of his mind, warning him to be careful. The last thing he needed was to be killed on the way home. Cathy would never forgive him. He looked towards his horse, but the only indication Oscar had was of the desire to be answered back as he blew out a large breath from his nostrils before letting out a whinny. Trowa hopped down from the wagon, patting the broad ribcage before slipping his hand onto the bone hilt of his hunting knife.

The hand was still reaching up, towards the faint pink light that still caressed the heavy clouds above him. Stars were already shining and the moon would be rising soon. He was already late, he knew his sister would be watching the door with increasing anxiety.

"Who's there?" Trowa asked again as he swept his eyes along the shadows that crept along the road. The hand lowered slowly, the fingers slightly curled. It was trembling. Trowa eased closer, the grip on his knife held more firmly as he made his way to what was the most shocking sight he'd ever seen in his life. He knelt before he realized he had done so.

Quatre's cerulean eye opened wide in shock at the human now standing over him. He parted cracked lips, his dry tongue trailing the lower one for a brief moment. Another one? What would _this_ one do to him? The human wasn't even speaking, just staring down at him with a veiled expression on his face and with eyes that hid many secrets. He cringed slowly as a hand came out, and then made a soft sound of pain. His left eye was still swollen shut, apparently the human wanted to touch the injury. But why?

 _Oh… to cause pain. That's what they do,_ he thought to himself as he closed his good eye. That's all they did, was caused pain. Or grief. Or suffering.

 _Humans are bad._

"Who did this to you?" the human finally spoke. His voice was gentle, even if there wasn't a lot of compassion to be held within it. Not that Quatre was expecting any. Trowa gazed down into the bruised and swollen face for a moment longer before his eyes trailed down to the body. A noose was around the neck, tying him to the tree. The pale skin was dirty, he smelled bad and there were open and weeping wounds. The worst in the shoulder. A week's worth of exposure to elements and little to no food or water were evident by the obscene way his ribs jutted out, the skin pulled taut over them. Trowa made no sound as he rose abruptly, but Quatre could feel the way the air stirred as he did.

 _Good, just go. Stay gone._ He let his body relax as he opened his good eye and gazed back up to the night sky. Regret tugged at his heart. Avoiding this human by closing his eye had caused him to miss the last remaining bit of sunset he was sure he would ever see. Anger welled up into him and he unconsciously balled a fist by his side.

 _It's not fair… I wanted to see it… one last time…_

Movement out of the corner of his eye brought his attention back to the human and he turned his surly gaze to the stranger. Trowa paid it no mind as he sank down to a knee beside the wounded youth. The blade of the knife flashed in the darkness as Trowa cut the noose away from Quatre's neck with a deft flick of his wrist, and then holstered it before pulling out his water skin.

"Can you drink this?"

Quatre stared up to him blankly and for a moment wished that they didn't speak the same tongue. He regarded the man quietly until Trowa took initiative and put his hand beneath Quatre's head, lifting it slowly until he could put the mouth of the skin to his lips.

"Drink…"

Quatre's eye was still hard on Trowa as the mouthpiece was put to his lips, but once he felt the familiar sensation of water touch them, he allowed a sliver of overjoyment to well in his heart as he parted his lips. Unused to the human mouth, he began to cough and sputter once too much of it tried to go down his throat at once. It came out of his nose and ended with a wet hacking cough that Trowa surmised must have been there before he offered the young man a drink. The back of his head against his palm was far too warm. Cathy would know how to deal with a fever.

"I can't leave you here, you'll die," Trowa murmured softly to himself. He looked over towards his wagon, where Oscar continued to stand with his head craned towards them. "Cathy will know what to do," he continued to speak quietly to himself. Without another word, he put the skin back into his belt, slipped his arms beneath Quatre's body and lifted him without much effort. The blond head fell back, the matted hair hanging limply as Trowa carried him to the wagon. The broken down stall was still stored along the inside, along with the items he had to purchase that month, but there was still a little room to ease the wounded youth into. Trowa took the blanket he had folded and stuffed into the side before leaving. _The last thing I packed_ he thought to himself as he pulled it open. "This should keep you warm, we're not far from home."

Quatre listened to the disinterested tone, but a small part of him was grateful for the blanket. Now that night had fallen, the air had decided to take on the brisk feel of early spring. He closed his eyes and listened as the stranger gently kissed to the horse and before he could blink twice, they were on the way back down the road.

* * *

::NO NO NO NO _NO!_ :: Duo wailed into the mind link as he tried to figure out just how in the world a human body worked. He started off on his hands and knees, but slowly and awkwardly managed to place the soles of his new feet onto the ground. Much to his dismay, he learned that human legs were much longer than human arms. However, Heero took a moment while he rested against a tree, to watch Duo try to walk past him on all fours with his rear far into the air, and smirked meanly.

"You have a human mouth now," came the reposed comment. "Why don't you try using it?" His knee was badly injured from where it had come in contact with the ground. He tenderly probed at the deep cut, noting that the edges of the wound were already beginning to swell. Blood had caked the leg of his pants, so he had cut both of them off, just below the knee. The doe hide from the right leg was now being made into a make-shift bandage.

"NO NO NO NO _NO_!" Duo bellowed out in heartfelt despair.

"What's wrong, Duo?" Heero asked as he began to bind his knee. "You have a _problem_ with that form?"

Duo gave up trying to escape and flopped over onto his side. He groaned at his bruised ribs and then rolled over onto his back so he could turn his head to pin Heero with a look that promised death, destruction and all sorts of nasty things when he was able to manage his body. "Turn me back."

"No."

"I _said_ …"

"I said _no_ ," Heero interrupted him by answering firmly. He finished tying the bandage. "I'm wounded. I can't walk very far without help."

"Well, then, maybe you should have _thought_ of that before you turned me _human_ ," Duo spat in a venomous tone.

"You're not human," Heero said. "Technically. However, there was no way I was going to be able to handle you and my knee at the same time. I had to do what I could. _You_ shouldn't have challenged me." He closed his eyes and tilted his head back as he willed away the pain as best as he could. Duo, for the moment at a loss for words, simply sputtered angrily towards his new Keeper. Finally, he composed himself and opened his mouth to speak.

"Well… what makes you think I'll stay with you in _this_ form, huh?"

"Because you've never _been_ in that form before. You haven't learned how to walk, so I can catch if you I have to, but you know _nothing_ of being human. If you want to eat, stay warm and have a safe place to sleep, it would be wise to remain near me."

Duo growled softly and then lifted his arms into the air. He splayed his fingers, marveling at them for a moment before balling them into fists and shaking them at the night sky as he bellowed his rage. Heero continued to watch him placidly.

"Are you done?"

Duo dropped his arms by his sides and let out a mighty sigh. "For now," he said. "But…"

Heero took out his knife and a sharpening stone. When Duo didn't continue, he grunted once to indicate that he was listening.

"I _am_ kind of hungry…"

"Already?"

" _Hey_!" Duo said as he leaned up to pin Heero with a disgusted look. "It wasn't _you_ hauling around all that weight on his back! Running at top speed, I might add! For _over_ an hour at that! You drained all my stamina!"

"We wouldn't be in this predicament if you hadn't thrown me," Heero pointed out as the blade slowly scraped over the stone.

"We wouldn't have been in this predicament if you hadn't tried _riding_ me! Do you _know_ how offensive that is?! To have some guy on your back without even the _chance_ to say no!?"

"I think you enjoyed it. Once you got used to it," Heero said, though he was still paying more attention to his knife blade than the complaining unicorn on the ground near his feet. Duo sputtered again and flopped back against the ground once more.

"Yeah, well, how would _you_ like it if _I_ were to hop on your back and ride _you_ hard? Huh? What would you think of that?"

"I'd get used to it," Heero answered.


	4. Chapter 4

"Don't look at me like that, this is _your_ fault, remember?" Heero grunted as he leaned against the trunk of an old tree. He shifted the large branch across his lap and then took a break from working one end of it into a V shape to prop beneath his armpit. He finally admitted to himself that he was too injured to walk on his own, and he knew that he would have no help from Duo. Duo was still frustrated at his new human form and was doing everything in his power to make Heero as miserable as he himself felt.

"I'm hungry, I'm cold and no thanks to _you_ , I'm naked," Duo said pointedly. Heero had at least the common decency to build a fire, but Duo quickly learned that it only warmed one side of your body at a time. He wasn't comfortable in any position other than lying on his back, something else he complained in protest of the forced transformation, and since there was nothing to do, he began to talk. At one point, he paused in his endless ramblings to watch in open amusement as Heero slowly rolled his eyes into his head, until the cobalt blues were gone, replaced by the whites. Then the stoic Keeper had let out a long, deep groan as he balled his fists by his hips, pressing his knuckles into the ground as he fought to keep his temper in check. He missed the mean grin fired at him from the irate unicorn.

"Then learn to walk," Heero stated simply as he pulled out his sharpening stone once again. He cut his eyes to Duo for a moment, and then began to hone his blade once more.

"I refuse to lower myself to _your_ standards and walk on these pitiful _human_ legs."

"Fine, when I heal, I'll just take you by the hair and drag you," Heero replied as the blade slowly scraped over the stone.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Duo spat as he bent his knees and looked at them in disgust.

"Yes," Heero simply answered.

"Well, I'm _still_ hungry and grass tastes horrible now! You did that to me, didn't you?"

"No. Your body likes the food it was built to eat."

"Well, _I_ don't know what that is! Hey… what's that?"

Heero had paused to pull his leather satchel over towards himself. "I'm hungry, too," the Keeper said as he dug within. He pulled out a small chunk of something wrapped up in thin cloth that he quickly flipped open. Inside was a pale square of cheese. Using his blade, he sliced off a chunk and after making eye contact with Duo, popped it into his mouth and chewed. Duo sat up on his hip, watching him.

"What is that?"

"Cheese," Heero said as he chewed. He set the items aside and wiped the blade of his knife before honing it once more.

"Bring it here," Duo demanded as he reached out his hand towards Heero.

"Come get it."

"That's not fair."

"Life," Heero answered, "often isn't."

"Please bring it here," Duo tried again. He had learned early that this young Keeper seemed to work better if it was placated with manners.

"Come get it," Heero repeated.

Duo, in a small fit of anger, smacked the ground with his palm. "You know I can't walk!"

"You _refuse_ to learn how," Heero interrupted him. " _You_ put yourself into this position because _you_ wouldn't listen to me, _you_ wanted to do things _your_ way and now _you_ are paying the consequences to your actions," he bit angrily. He had paused in his work to pierce his charge with a glare that had most elders shrinking back from him. Duo, however, only glowered at that sharp look. "And no thanks to _you_ , I am injured, and I do not know if the bone is broken or not."

Duo sighed as he finally sat up on his bottom. He drug his slender legs to him and without thinking, wrapped his arms around his shins. He gave Heero an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, I didn't intend to harm you, but you should have let go of my mane."

"If I had done that, I'd still be looking for you right now."

"True," Duo agreed. "I want to find Quatre… he's my best friend. I know he was in this area, they told me about this village."

"If Quatre is still alive," Heero said as he sliced another piece of cheese from the block. He held it out in his fingers, beckoning Duo to come to him for it. "If he is, we'll bring him home. Wufei said that unicorns must take human form anyway. Too many hunters, and they are encroaching on your lands now with their own homes and hunting grounds."

"Why won't they all just die?" Duo sighed softly as he moved to his hands and knees. He crawled towards Heero, and then sat down in front of him, taking the offered bite of cheese.

"You should never wish such a thing," Heero chided softly as he went back to working on his crutch.

"Well, it's true, isn't it? They're the reason everything bad happens to us and all the other animals. They hunt, destroy habitats, and kill for sport. They destroy everything they touch; we just want to live in peace. Is that so much to ask?"

"It's not so much to ask," Heero agreed. "But they have as much right to exist as we do. And they aren't all bad, either. The bad ones just… stand out more."

Cathy flung open the door as Oscar nickered at the barn. "Trowa? Trowa is that you?" she called out frantically. She watched the light of the lantern flicker into life.

"It's me, Cathy. I need your help."

She moved out of the door quickly, crossing the short distance to the barn and to where the wagon waited. Trowa was in the back, speaking softly.

"Trowa, what happened? I was so worried; you're usually back before the sun sets."

"He's hurt," Trowa said as he lifted the wounded youth into his arms.

"Who's hurt? Oh Trowa, you didn't bring another animal home, did you?"

"No," Trowa said as he turned to face her. He stepped to the corner of the wagon, where the lantern hung, so Cathy could see Quatre's face. She let out a soft gasp.

"What happened to him?" she asked. "Or… her?"

"Him," Trowa said. "He's wounded and starved…" he watched as his sister bolted to the house.

"Bring him in; I've got hot water over the fire!"

Quatre's good eye opened and he gazed up into Trowa's face in the lamplight. The sunset was gone, but he was still alive and a bit of his anger began to bleed away. Perhaps he would see the sun rise in the morning. He tried to struggle in his captives' arms, but the blanket around him kept his limbs restrained. The tall human, Trowa, that was his name, never looked down at him as he moved away from the wagon, and the light, and began to walk.

 _Where are you taking me?_ Quatre thought. _What horrors do you intend to do to me now?_ He closed his eye and let out a shuddering sigh. _Will you even allow me to see the sun rise, since you refused to allow me to see it set?_

He had never been inside a house before, and his good eye widened in panic at how cramped it felt. At least to him. For the humans, it was rather roomy. The light inside was cheerful and the smells were wonderful. Quatre closed his eye again as he focused on the heavenly aroma of what he would soon learn was baked bread. Trowa placed him down by the hearth as carefully as he could, and then excused himself. Oscar needed to be unhitched, groomed, fed and turned out. The items in the wagon needed to be brought in and there was no better Healer around than Cathy anyway, Trowa knew the youth was in good hands.

Cathy was gentle as she removed the blanket from Quatre's thin frame, and when he opened his eye again, he watched this fairer human sitting next to him with her face in her hands. Her shoulders were shaking and he was stunned into confused silence. Not even a thought could come as he watched her. When she lifted her face, tears were rolling down her cheeks.

 _Emotional things, these humans._

When she caught his eye, she gave him a gentle smile. "I'm sorry… this breaks my heart that someone would harm you like this," she whispered as she brushed away her tears, and then rose and bustled about him.

 _You… care that someone did this to me?_ Quatre blinked at his own confusion. Weren't all humans bad? He watched her move about, gathering jars from shelves and putting items into a few bowls. _Yes_ , he mused as he strengthened his resolve. _All humans are bad_.

The pain was incredible. Quatre cried out, his voice weak and thin as the wound, festering and infected, was cauterized with the side of a white hot blade. The rolled leather that the female had forced into his mouth now served its purpose as he sank his teeth into it. He was helpless to stop himself when he pushed his head backwards in a vain attempt to escape. It hadn't hurt this badly when Cathy had cut it open to drain it. The horrible smell of burning flesh pushed back the more pleasant aroma that had greeted him upon entering this home and his vision began to blacken around the edges.

"I can't believe they just jerked the arrow out of him," Cathy murmured as she took a rag to wipe away the viscous pus that rolled along his dirty shoulder and down his chest. It wasn't as abundant as it had been when she had first cut into the wound, but she didn't like the fact that it was still coming. "Don't close it, just cauterize around the edges," she instructed Trowa.

Quatre cried out again, thrashing his head side to side as the female held his frail frame down. The combined smell of the infection and burning flesh was making his stomach turn and tears of agony rolled down his cheeks. Just more torture. Humans were bad. He clenched his hands at his sides, unable to struggle. Soon, darkness took over and his head fell back limp, his body trembling.

"He's unconscious," Trowa murmured as he removed the hot blade from the flesh. "I seared the edges as best as I could, but it will be a miracle if he makes it."

"I'll make up a bath, we'll get him clean and when he wakes, we'll try to get a little food into him," Cathy said as she began to gather the supplies. "Just stay by him and watch over him."

Trowa nodded his head once and turned his attention to the fire.

"I'm cold," Duo whispered. He was now huddled close to Heero, sitting between the Keeper's knees, his body pressed to his chest as he trembled. "Turn me back and we'll go find someplace warm."

"No," Heero whispered.

"No?"

"I told you, it's just safer this way," Heero said. Though Duo was snuggled to him, he kept his hands to his sides.

"Yeah, well, you're not the one who's naked," Duo frowned. "And these… things… are freezing." He held up his right hand and waggled his fingers close to Heero's nose.

"Fingers," Heero said.

"Well, my _fingers_ are cold. My _hooves_ never got cold," Duo snorted.

"Stop whining."

"I'm not _whining_ , I'm just _telling_ you how miserable I am," Duo responded.

"Try to get some sleep, you'll feel better in the morning, when it warms up."

Duo tucked his head under Heero's chin and burrowed in closer.

"And you can learn to walk in the morning," Heero pointed out. Duo grumbled his answer in a foul tone, but closed his eyes. Soon, he drifted off to sleep, and when Heero felt his body relax, he slowly draped his right arm around Duo's back. "We've got to do something with your hair," he murmured.


	5. Chapter 5

Ivy rustled in the warm spring breeze; it's new and tender leaves hardly whispering along the stone windowpane of Trowa's room. The day was just beginning but the sun already promised sweet and pleasant things to come as Trowa put his ladder against the East wall of the house. The structure itself had been built over eighty years ago, well cared for and loved until the son of the elderly residents had decided to move his parents into his own home in the village. That had been a year before the tragedy that ripped Catherine and Trowa's parents from their lives. The son, taking pity on the orphans, maintained the homestead until he felt the children were ready for their own home.

Trowa, with his sharp ingenuity, decided to try to make life easier for himself and his sister, and one evening, had devised a plan for simple water delivery into the house. It was an idea that caught on in the village, and had made the people more appreciative to the silent and aloof boy.

The home itself was large, with a spacious kitchen and a generous living area downstairs. Beyond the living area, was Trowa's bedroom, it's space open and vast, with a fireplace along the far wall. A set of stairs in the kitchen led to the floor above, where Catherine resided. Next to the kitchen, was a smaller room where the previous owners had stored away dry goods. It, too, was larger than it should have been and Trowa sometimes wondered if the couple had perhaps anticipated on a larger family than the two children they had.

One fall day, while standing in the doorway of the storage room, his eyes studying the golden sunlight falling onto the stone floor, an idea came to him. Cathy was busy heating water for their bath in the large kettle over the fire. He hated the inconvenience of the whole matter, all that hauling, and trudging and sloshing. Then, they had to leave the room for the other to have privacy. Then there was the hauling and trudging and sloshing at the end of it and sometimes he was just as sweaty afterwards as he was before. It was a mess and the ten year old decided he should do something about it.

Walking to the center of the room, he kneeled down and put his hand on the floor, his mind working fervently as an idea came to him. He rose quickly and went to the hearth, taking a bit of charcoal out of the ash pale and returned, and until he was called to take his bath, he drew out a drainage plan with the stub of wood. The next morning, he told his sister what he had planned and she had readily agreed, helping him carefully chip away stone in the floor while Trowa measured, paused, thought through his plans, and then measured again. It took them two weeks to carefully dig out the trench, and then they worked on hand forging and firing the clay tiles to construct ductwork to protect the exposed ground from erosion as they let out their bath water.

When they were finished with the drain, which angled away from the house and close to the stream, Trowa capped it with a bit of wire he had left over from repairing the barnyard fence. That would keep unwanted visitors out. Next came the hard part. For this, they needed the help of the adults. Trowa didn't have the money to buy the barrel and bricks, so he hired himself out for the fall and winter, working hard at any job offered to earn every penny he needed, and when spring returned, so did he, pulling his wagon along the muddy road, heavily laden with bricks and wood and plate metal that would complete the new water system into the house. The last thing he needed to build was a pulley system to bring water from the well to the large barrels he planned to build next to the house. Both of them easily held over a hundred gallons of water. The wood was protected by the plate steel that he and Catherine had painstakingly crafted over the heavy planks once they were fashioned into large, long troughs. There was a door on top of them to pour in the water, but also so they could close on hot days that threatened to steal their hard work with evaporation or to leave open when the dark clouds came to catch the rainfall.

Bricks were mortared against the house to protect the stones from the heat and fashioned into a large square, stacked high so the barrel above it would be at roof level lest gravity be compromised, and then firewood was placed within its oven like confines. The fire heated the water in the large tank, the other, identical, sat on the other side, away from the fire's warmth. Both were attached to levers that were carefully threaded through the thatch roof, to which chains were attached. One chain pulled the hinged lip of a pipe down and cold water ran into the large metal tub, another chain brought down the pipe for the hot. The pulley system, hooked from the house to the well, brought buckets of water to Trowa as he cranked the handle on the line, giving Catherine time to fill the buckets before he dumped them into the tank.

The villagers heralded this design as genius and that summer and fall, after making sure there were no initial design flaws in the prototypes, Trowa suddenly discovered that he was applying this to all the homes. Life, suddenly, was a little easier for everyone involved.

Today, Trowa was busy checking the roof, to make sure no damage had occurred during the winter. Though he had thatched it last year, he just felt that he needed something to do. He had to get out of the house. Last night, the small whimpers of pain mixed with cries of agony and fear, as they had cauterized the horrible wound in the blond's shoulder, had sent slivers of emotion to pierce Trowa's soul. He didn't know how to deal with the overwhelming flood of compassion that threatened to burst down the doors to his well-kept heart. He didn't want feelings to come crashing in. Not after he had spent so long hiding them away in the shadows.

"It's alright," Cathy's sweet voice drifted to him from his open bedroom window. "I'm not going to hurt you." There was a pause as his body cut through the sunlight momentarily. "Trowa?" she called.

Trowa ground his jaw and backtracked his step off the ladder, moving it further along the eaves (and away from the window) to continue his maintenance.

Cathy appeared in the window, giving him an amused look. "There's no use running and hiding from me, little brother," she teased gently. "Why don't you come inside and say hello?"

"I've got work to do," Trowa stubbornly answered. He cut his gaze to her for a moment before climbing the ladder once again.

"You don't want to be rude to our guest, do you? He's awake. Come say hello."

"Cathy…"

"Please, Trowa, it won't take long."

With a hefty sigh, Trowa once again put his feet onto the ground, but rather than go into the house, he came to the window and peered in. His sister was correct, he noted sourly. The blond was awake, and his good eye was open and fiercely glowering at him. "He doesn't look happy."

"After last night, and who knows how long he was out there, do you blame him?"

Trowa swept his gaze between his sister and the blond, and then lowered his eyes. "No," he said softly.

"Come inside, see if you can get him to speak," she urged gently.

"I don't think—…"

"Please, Trowa. You have such a way with animals, why not with wounded strangers who are afraid?" she dropped her voice down to a whisper.

Trowa ground his jaw again before letting out a harsh sigh through his nostrils. "Fine," he said tightly. "For a few moments, but then, I have work to do."

"Thank you," Cathy beamed. "I'll go make lunch, you've been outside all morning working, I'm sure you've worked up an appetite."

The big one, Trowa. _That was his name_ the blond reminded himself. Quatre watched him with a narrow eye as Trowa regarded him with a closed off expression through the window. Last night, as they bathed and tended his wounded body, he regarded the tall human with a furious glare. At the moment, they shared another hateful exchange with their eyes, though Quatre felt a bit of smug pride. When they had cleaned and cauterized the wound on his shoulder, he had screamed, but that bothered him. He didn't want to give the brunette the satisfaction of hearing his agony. That's what humans wanted, wasn't it? Sadly, in the end, that's what this one got. To hear his pain and suffering.

Then why were these two so… different? He hesitated to call them kind. After all, they hadn't made their intentions for him known yet. It would be a matter of time, but honestly, Quatre knew that as soon as he could walk without difficulty, he would be gone.

"He hates us," Trowa grunted, still staring at the blond through the window.

"But why? We haven't done anything to him," Catherine answered innocently.

 _Yet_ , Quatre thought to himself.

"Come on in, Trowa. I'll fix you boys something to eat and maybe you can get him to tell us his name."

"Fine."

* * *

"You're doing good, Duo," Heero said blandly as Duo staggered past him, trying to get a hold on using two legs instead of four. When he crashed to the ground, he glared over to Heero, who only said. "Good job, Duo."

"You aren't even paying attention!"

Heero lifted his head, cutting his eyes over to the still naked form, and then snorted. "At least you're doing something."

"This is not easy! You should try it!"

"I have, and mastered it," Heero replied, and then again went back to the book he was reading. He had purchased it shortly before taking on his new charge and decided that since he couldn't walk, or hunt, or do much more than build a fire, he would at least try to read.

Duo flopped onto his backside and pushed a hand through his bangs. His slender frame was covered in dirt, and now after this latest fall, dead leaves were clinging to his hair. "What are you doing?"

"Reading."

"What's reading?"

"Translating written words into thought."

"What's that for?"

"What's what for?"

"Reading."

"To learn, or to enjoy."

"Which one are you doing?"

Heero cut his eyes over to Duo. "At the _present_ , neither."

"Help me walk."

"I can't. I'm hurt."

"You made that wooden… stick thing to help you walk."

"Crutch."

"Yeah, you made the crutch to help you walk."

"I tried to help you walk earlier today while using it. If you'll recall, you lost your balance and pulled us both down and landed on me, reinjuring my knee."

"That wasn't my fault," Duo sniffed as he put his nose into the air.

"Yes, it was. I still think you did it on purpose. You're mad that I refuse to turn you back."

"It's not _fair_ that a Keeper can trump a Unicorn's magic!"

"Life, as I have often told you these past three days, is not fair. Do not expect it to be. The fairness of life is that it isn't fair, if that will make you feel better."

"It doesn't and I'm hungry."

"So am I," Heero said softly

"What are we going to do?"

Heero sighed gently as he tucked his book back into his bag. "I'm going to have to trust you, Duo."

Duo tilted his head, giving his new Keeper a curious look. "Trust me with what?"

Heero sighed this time as if his pride were at steak with his next words. "Getting help."

A long silence passed between the two. Above them, the leaves rustled over head as another warm breeze blustered up from the south. Sunlight broke the scattered pattern of shadows on the forest floor around them.

"You mean… go to _humans_ for help?"

"It's the only thing I can think of in our current situation," Heero replied stoically.

Another long moment passed and the two battled each other with their eyes. Duo's pleading Heero not to ask this of him, Heero insisting that it was the only way and it had to be done. Finally, the unicorn lowered his head.

"Alright," he relented in a soft, defeated voice. "What do I do?"

"You have to be human yourself."

Duo's head shot up and he gave Heero an incredulous look, the sneer on his lips indicating what he thought of that suggestion. Finally, he sighed and his stiff shoulders slowly relaxed. "Sure, sure, I guess I could try…"

"First of all, you'll need to clean up. _After_ you learn how to walk. Just pretend you're rearing up on your hind legs and go from there."

"Good idea," Duo murmured. He got to his hands and knees and slowly pushed himself up, purposely ignoring the well veiled look of amusement in Heero's eyes. He glowered at his pitiful human feet as his arms pinwheeled for balance.

"Lock your knees."

"Knees locked," Duo said as he slowly rose from the waist up, his arms outstretched.

"Take a deep breath."

"Deep breath…" Duo inhaled, and slowly exhaled. "Taken."

For the third time that day, a long silence passed between the two. Duo stood, his head tilted back slightly, eyes closed and arms still stretched on either side of him. While Heero waited for him to gain his confidence, he slowly peeled his tunic off. He had an extra pair of doe-skin leggings in his bag, but that was it for spare clothing. At least, thankfully, they were the same size. Duo would be barefoot, for the time being, though Heero was dreading the confrontation of putting shoes on his feet for the first time.

"How are you feeling?" the Keeper finally asked.

"My knees hurt. I don't see how humans _or_ Keepers can stand this."

"You don't lock them all the time, just for now while you're learning to stand upright on two legs," Heero muttered as he pulled the leggings out. "Here, you're going to have to put these on…" He cut his eyes up to Duo, whose outstretched arms were now folded firmly across his chest in defiance.

"You've gotta be _kidding_ me! Clothes! I have to wear _clothes_! You didn't say that before!"

"I said you had to be human. Humans wear clothes."

"Yeah, but that's just so…"

"It's what they _do_ ," Heero pressed. "Start walking. If you feel yourself losing your balance, then lock your knees."

With nothing else to do than listen to Duo complain as he stomped his way around the little clearing, Heero pulled out his book and began to read again. Of course he knew the unicorn had mastered walking probably within an hour of his forced change. He was only being difficult, however Heero knew he truly felt bad about the injury to his knee. Duo honestly hadn't intended to hurt him to the point of incapacitation in his attempt at escape. Maybe with his regret, he really was as kind hearted as Iria had said. _Maybe_. However that didn't change the fact that he was still "all boy", as Wufei had warned. The boisterous, stubborn attitude was amusing, actually. Poor Duo had met his match and wasn't even aware of it yet.

The sun was moving slowly along the sky as Duo wandered around the clearing, slipping in and out of the trees as a way to amuse himself and finally release all that pent up energy surging through him. Heero watched as he practically ran from one thicket to another, playing by himself.

 _That's so lonely_ , Heero pondered to himself and a new resolve surfaced in him. They had to find Quatre, if Quatre was still alive. He imagined the unicorn was lonely as well.

"Duo, come over here, we need to get you into clothing so you go get help."

"What if I get lost on the way and can't find my way back to you?" Duo asked. Heero merely snorted in reply.

"That's like asking a star to forget it's place in the night sky," Heero said as he shook out the leggings in expectation. Duo moaned loudly and complained as he trudged to the Keeper, but relented, lifting one leg, and then the other to step into the soft material. Heero pulled them up over the slender hips and then slowly tied them in an easy knot. He untied them, and then had Duo try to learn. Thankfully, Duo was as easy of a study as he was to be kept entertained. He watched the long slender fingers joyfully tie the rawhide strips, untie them, and tie them back in rapid succession. The silly grin told Heero that Duo found this quite amusing.

"Now," Heero said, interrupting the unicorn as he held out his tunic. "Put this on."

"But that's yours…"

"So are the leggings. You'll need it. It's going to get cold."

"But you'll get cold. I have my hair to keep me warm…"

"That's another thing we need to talk about…" Cobalt eyes widened in surprise as Duo jumped nimbly away from him, his hands gripping his wild nest of hair and clinging to it as a look of terror crossed his face.

"You're not cutting my hair off, I won't let you do it!" The last place they had known Quatre to be, they had discovered large chunks of mane that had been cut away. Duo didn't want to think of what that could have meant; he didn't want to think that it could have meant the death of his dearest friend.

"I'm _not_ going to cut your hair, I'm going to _brush_ it… maybe braid it to keep you from standing out," Heero said tightly. When Duo relaxed, he reached into his bag, pulling out a sturdy wide toothed comb that the Keeper's often used to tame the manes of their charges. Duo's eyes glittered immediately when he recognized it in Heero's hand.

Heero cut his eyes up, and then nodded to the ground in front of him. Duo obeyed and before he could protest, the tunic was put over his head and the wild mane of hair pulled out from the large V neck. They spent a few moments trying to work the unicorn's arms through the sleeves, but when he was done, Heero distracted his charge by lifting the comb. Seconds later, Duo was poured over his lap, careful of the injured knee, and reduced to mush as the wide teeth of the comb gently scraped his scalp. Heero's eyes slowly cut towards the canopy above them, his jaw set with irritation at the near orgasmic sounds coming from his lap at something so simple as hair being groomed.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

If you liked the chapter, it would really mean a lot to me if you could leave a review! Not necessary of course, but it really lets me know how it's doing and if people are enjoying this or not! If you've made it this far, thanks so much for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

"It's turning cold again," Cathy commented as Trowa entered the house. The sun was playing hide and seek with thunderheads that pressed against the horizon. "I think we might get one more good snow before spring decides to stick around."

Trowa grunted as he sat down at the table, and then leaned his elbow onto the surface. "I think you're right," he answered softly. "Or it may just get cold and rain for a while. We never know what the weather will do at this time of the year." He lifted his hand and pressed the back of it to his mouth to stifle a yawn.

"I wish you could have gotten him to speak to you today."

"Who?"

Cathy laughed softly as she cut up an onion. "Our guest, Trowa. Don't tell me you've forgotten him already."

"Oh. That's right."

"C'mon, it's good for you to interact with more people than just me. There's a whole big world out there for you to get to know."

"I don't _want_ the world, Cathy" Trowa argued, his voice soft, but firm. "I'm fine right where I am."

"You're so lonely," she said, but then plastered on a smile when he lifted his head sharply to pin her with an intense look. "Well… you _are_ ," she said as she turned to put the chopped onions into a pot. "Could you bring some more firewood in, please? What I have in the stove is getting low. And don't take too long, supper's almost ready."

"Of course."

"Thank you, Trowa."

Quatre lie in bed, his body aching like a sore tooth, his head throbbing in beat with his heart. He curiously listened to the two as they spoke. Their interaction was nothing like the two men who had injured him, who had tortured and held him captive. Michael and Jonathan had often squabbled, frightening Quatre with their raised voices and harsh words. The remaining hound would cower away into the shadows of his cage when the men began to fight, even the horses, tied up to the trees, would shy at the anger, or toss their heads in fear.

But it wasn't like that with these two.

Quatre turned his head slightly to the right, towards the doorway with the deerskin flap, and cracked open his good eye. Such a strange thing for humans to live within such a confine. Iria said it was because they, like many in Creation, needed dens.

 _Still_ , he reasoned to himself. _Odd creatures these humans. I don't think I'll ever figure them out._

* * *

"Hello," Catherine sang as she suddenly bustled through the flap an hour later, a tray in her hands. "Good evening, how are you feeling?"

Quatre regarded her for a long moment before turning his head away, dismissing her.

"I see," Cathy said softly as she came around to his side of the bed. She set the tray down carefully next to him before pulling up the chair from Trowa's desk. Leaning forward she reached out, brushing his heavy bangs back from his face. Quatre opened his eye and looked at her in surprise before masking it with distrust.

"You don't have to be afraid of us," she said gently. "Whoever or whatever did this to you… we won't let it happen again. I promise."

 _I don't trust you…_

A smile brightened her lovely face as she leaned back a little. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize I was crowding you. Here, let me help you eat, you'll feel better and you'll get strong." Reaching down, she lifted the fork and dug the three tines into the eggs she had scrambled. "I _know_ it's not breakfast time, but I thought this might do you some good anyway. Here, open your mouth; you need to eat while it's still nice and warm. A cold meal won't do your stomach any good."

 _She talks almost as much as Duo does…_

"Open up!" she said again, her face an friendly portrait of her good nature. Quatre continued to stare at her for another long moment before he gave a mental shrug and parted his lips. His good eye was still trained on her, pinning her with a look of mistrust and thinly veiled anger.

"There you go," she murmured softly as she slipped the small bite between the pearly teeth, which, for some reason, seemed to be bared at her. She didn't understand why so much rage was coming from the young man. They didn't hurt him, Trowa had rescued him and now they were trying everything they could to nurse him back to health. Did he want to die? She dearly hoped not.

The anger on Quatre's face was soon replaced by a wondrous expression as he rolled the eggs around on his tongue. It was heavenly, the taste, though the texture was something he would definitely have to get used to. He chewed, grateful that the food, delicious as it was, was also soft and easy to manage. His face still felt tight and very sore from the swelling that he knew would take a while before it began to go down.

"Pretty good, huh? You act like you've never had eggs before," she chuckled, and then softened when the mouth opened again obediently. "That's more like it," she said, and then put another bite into his mouth.

"I believe it's going to storm," Trowa's voice carried through the deerskin flap as he came in the door. "The clouds are getting dark and the wind is from the south."

"Oh dear," Cathy said. "Spring storms are always scary."

"I made sure Oscar was in his stall, the cows and goats will be fine in the run in shed."

"Good. Your dinner is on the table, don't let it get cold."

"I won't."

Catherine smiled down at her young charge. "That's Trowa. I don't know if you can believe it or not, but he's my _little_ brother. He's so tall, though, but don't you worry," she said in concern as she addressed the fearful expression on Quatre's face when the male voice startled him. "He's a _gentle_ giant; he won't hurt you, not for anything in the world." She fed Quatre another bite of eggs, finding she had to coax him more this time to open his mouth now that Trowa was back inside.

"My name's Catherine, but you can call me Cathy if you like. What's your name?" she asked gently as she broke off a piece of buttered bread and held it to Quatre's lips with her fingers. He looked at the morsel, and then back to her, but refused to answer.

"Can you speak?" she asked gently.

Quatre gave his head a slight nod, and then parted his lips for the bite. Catherine smiled and placed it on his tongue before breaking off another piece.

"Are you afraid?" she asked gently.

As he chewed, there came a more earnest nod.

"You don't have to be afraid," she said gently. "You're safe here."

Trowa sat at his place at the table, dragging his spoon slowly through the stew as he listened to his sister speak to the stranger. "Afraid?" he questioned softly. "After how I found him, I don't blame him for his fear. I wouldn't trust strangers myself, assuming it was even strangers who did that to him. In this day and age, it's hard to trust anyone."

Lowering his head, he finally took a bite of his meal, and then chewed thoughtfully as he gazed out of the window and watched the heavy storm clouds approach.

* * *

"Windy!" Duo called out. He had pulled his braid over his shoulder, examining it with his new fingers. "It's going to storm! I hate storms! You'll get rained on and get wet!"

"I'll be fine, so will you. Just travel the road and stay _away_ from the middle, walk on the sides so you don't get run over by horse and buggy."

"C'mon, Heero! Credit me with a _little_ more common sense than _that_!"

"I'm not the one who fell out of the tree because you thought the smaller branches at the top could hold your weight, alright?"

"Bah!" Duo frowned as he trailed his fingers along the braid again. "I don't feel right leaving you here…"

"The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back, think of it that way if it will make you feel any better," Heero reasoned in what Duo considered that dull, boring voice of his.

Duo's shoulders dropped down slightly. "It doesn't," he said. He gave Heero one last lingering look before stepping out onto the man-road, turning left and heading, hopefully, towards the village. "I'll be back!" he called.

"I'll be here," Heero answered him. He had to speak over a particularly hard gust of wind that swept through the trees. His dark hair ruffled about his face before falling still, hiding his eyes.

Duo sighed and tucked his hands into the pockets of the borrowed leggings. Heero had also supplied him with five pieces of gold, and they went over how money worked for the better part of three hours. He had to admit; Heero was a thorough teacher and by the time he was done with his lesson, Duo had a firm understanding of how _not_ to get scammed by strangers in the market place. Thunder rumbled behind him, far off in the distance and his shoulders pulled up. Heero was going to get drenched, and the rain would be cold. Taking a chance to look over his shoulder to gauge the dark clouds, Duo decided to start trotting, once again, hoping dearly that he was heading in the proper direction. They had watched five wagons head this direction, but for some reason, Heero wouldn't let Duo go and stop them to ask for help. The unicorn's face had been an open mouthed mask of confusion, but Heero just narrowed his eyes and gave his head a hard, sharp shake.

"Instincts," the Keeper had explained in a soft murmur as the last wagon trundled past them. That had been over three hours ago.

Forty five minutes had passed since Duo began his journey. Ahead of him, a family of five walked along, presumably towards the same town. A mother, father and three boisterous children whose cheerful voices drifted back to him, though their words were ripped apart by the heavy, sporadic gusts of wind. Duo tucked his hands into his pockets once more and trudged ahead, studying them with wide, curious eyes. The two eldest children, boys, shielded either side of the little girl, who held onto their hands as they walked. He tilted his head as he watched them lift her up by the hands and swing her playfully, her shrill laughter surrounding him as it reached his ears. Before long, he realized that he was grinning.

Another thing he noticed was that human houses were starting to pop up along the road the further he walked.

Yet another thing he noticed was the long pieces of colorful ribbon tied to trees and lamp posts as he drew near the lively village. They were bright and cheery, and the people that now bustled past him were talking in excitement. Some strange event was about to take place, and Duo didn't want to stick around for long to find out what it was. He just needed to find someone who could help, as Heero had stated, or buy some supplies to see them through until he healed. Pausing on the side of the street and slowly looking around at so much activity, Duo decided on the latter.

"Uh, excuse me, hello," he said, nearly turning in a circle as he tried to get attention of two men as they split up to move around him hurriedly. The people treated him as if he didn't exist while they rushed past him. Normally that would have been wonderful, but Heero needed him. He just knew that it was raining back in the woods and without his tunic or any sort of shelter, the Keeper would be soaked to the bone.

Loud music erupted out of nowhere, causing the Unicorn to cringe within himself before he realized what was going on. Drums and flutes, a trumpet and he could decidedly pick out the strains of a lute. Wufei played a lute, though his fingers brought forth a much sweeter and delicate sound from the strings. Duo pressed through the crowd that seemed to enjoy a collective moment of insanity. Once the music started, they all acted as one, grabbing one another and spinning in circles, or bouncing around with no sense of direction (or logic), all the while, laughing as if they had gone mad. Duo tried to make his way along the outer edge without being trampled in the fray, but before he could head towards a stall selling clay pots, his wrist was grabbed and he was suddenly swept up.

"Hello!" a young woman laughed over the din. Duo stared back at her with wide, frightened eyes as she slung him against her body and put her hand on his side, just above the hip bone. Before he could protest, she began to direct their circling in time with the loud music. He felt his heart skip a beat when he was shuttled, with her direction, in a bouncing hopping movement, towards the center of the crowd.

" _Please_ don't kill me!" he managed to cry out. The woman tossed her head back and laughed cheerfully before steering him back towards the edge.

When they were out of harm's way, she leaned forward and whispered softly. "Unicorn's can't dance?"

"Dance?" Duo squawked. He'd never heard of such a ridiculous thing. No wonder humans liked it so much. Reality hit him again. "Unicorn?"

Her smile softened as she gave his side a squeeze before letting him go. "It's okay," she spoke close to his ear. "I'm a Keeper. My sister and I are here for the festival."

The relief on Duo's face was unmistakable. "I'm so glad to have found you. I need help. _My_ Keeper is injured, he sent me to town to either get help, or get supplies. I'd rather bring him back supplies than drag him through this…" he lifted his hand, waving it at the general mass that continued to spin, bounce and circle.

Concern etched her lovely face. "What happened to your Keeper? And what is his name?"

Duo lowered his head bashfully. "His name is Heero and, well… it's my fault he's hurt. He tried to make me go where I didn't want to; he hopped on my back, so… well… I finally managed to throw him. He hurt his knee pretty bad."

The Keeper placed her hand on Duo's shoulder, holding it gently as she made a soft sound. "What's your name?"

"Duo… what's yours?"

"Lucrezia Noin, but you can just call me Noin if you like. A lot of people have a hard time with my first name."

"Can you help me?"

"Of course, of course," she soothed as her hand once again fell upon his shoulder. "Let's find Sally, she's also a healer, and we'll go help Heero."

"Thank you," Duo said, his tone heavy and heartfelt.

"Did you hear that Wufei has instructed everyone in your tribe to take human form?" Sally asked as she packed up supplies into the back of her wagon. Duo stood by her team of horses, patting their necks gently as he listened.

"I didn't, but Heero did. He's the one who turned me after I threw him."

Laughter answered his surly tone, and he leaned forward to peer at the other Keeper, his eyes narrowed and lips pursed.

"No wonder he turned you," Sally said as she continued to chuckle. "I've met him a few times. He's rather… intense."

"Why couldn't I have gotten a fun one?" Duo complained softly. "He's always rules, rules, rules! I don't think he'd know how to play if he fell into a steaming pile of fun!"

Noin's laughter joined in with her sister's.

"He's young," Noin said. "But I think he's always been that intense. And Wufei must have had a good reason to pair you two."

"Yeah, well…" Duo folded his arms across his chest and stuck his nose into the air, clearly not amused. The gesture only caused the women to laugh again as they continued to hastily pack up the wagon.

"Duo, will we have a space for a tent?"

Duo relaxed and nodded his head. "Yes, there's plenty of clearing in the area." He tilted his head at the look the sisters gave each other. "What's wrong?"

"If the sky looked as heavy as you said it did when you left, I'd rather for him to have more cover," Noin said. She gestured for Duo to come to her, and then helped him climb into the back of the large, covered wagon. "However," she continued as she climbed into the front. "We might still be in time. The mountain sometimes holds the weather back, but when it does… it's all the worse by the time it arrives."

"So the mountain makes the storms angry?" Duo asked as Sally clucked to the horses.

Noin chuckled. "You could say that."

"We'll let you two sleep in the wagon, Noin and I can camp out. Maybe we can even find a cave, that would provide better shelter anyway and we can keep a fire going."

"Thank you for helping me buy everything," Duo said, his voice humble as he peered out of the covered flap. He had to admit, now that he was out of that wind, he felt much more comfortable. He couldn't help but to think of how cold Heero must be right now.

"It's our pleasure," Sally said. "And our duty. But you really must think about returning to the Glade, it's safe there."

"Not without Quatre, I'm not going home without him."

"We understand," Noin said. "And we're never far from this area, just keep an eye out for us. We travel this road once a week."

"I will," Duo promised. "Thank you for everything." In his lap was the blanket he had bought, along with the items that Sally would use to brace up Heero's knee. There were herbs, wrapped in bundles for medicine, a new leather pouch filled with dried meat, some cheese and bread. He didn't think he would run out, as the two Keepers promised not to leave until Heero was able to walk well enough to hunt. He was proud that he would bring back three of the coins to his Keeper, along with a brand new tunic to replace the one he himself was now wearing.

* * *

"Trowa? I think it's going to storm for sure," Cathy's voice broke Trowa's reverie. He had just stepped out of the tub, the water draining down the handmade clay tiles towards the stream with a gurgle. He ran the towel over his body as he listened to thunder grumble in the distance, and then stepped into his knee-length leggings.

"Are you afraid?" he asked as he stepped into the kitchen. His sister had just returned from taking care of their charge.

"No, but he is. Stay with him tonight, please?" she asked softly.

"No."

"Trowa, he's afraid, and it's so lonely. Give him the comfort of your presence. I would, you know I would, but he's an unfamiliar male and it wouldn't be proper for me to spend the night alone in a room with him."

Trowa lowered his head in thought, and then nodded. "Yes, you're right. Could you bring me an extra blanket?"

"An extra blanket? Why? Your bed is large enough for the two of you, and I just helped him make water, so you'll have nothing to worry about while you sleep." She smiled at him and then went to the wood box where she dug out a large piece of maple. "Here, stoke the fire in your room so you don't get cold and the light will make him feel better."

"Goodnight, Cathy," Trowa dismissed her as he took the log and slipped through the deerskin flap. He paused at the foot of his bed, watching the blond who for all intents and purposes appeared to be sleeping soundly until a flicker of lightning stuttered the darkness of the room. The wounded form trembled beneath the covers, a gasp escaping him at the sudden clap of thunder from the heavens. Trowa stood where he was for a moment longer, and then went to tend the hearth, casting more light and warmth into the room.

"You don't have to be afraid," Trowa spoke softly as he worked the log further back in the hearth. He turned his head over his shoulder, the light casting shadows along his face as he and the young stranger made eye contact. "It's just a storm. It's foolish to be afraid of them. They can't hurt you."

He rose and looked about his large room, and then walked back to the trunk at the foot of the bed. The lid went up with a soft creak and he reached inside, gathering a spare blanket he had forgotten about, and then took a pillow from the other side of the bed.

"However, I won't be far, should you need to know you aren't alone," he said as he walked back to the hearth. With a sigh, he eased his body down to lie on the hard wood floor and pulled the blanket over him.

Quatre lifted his hand, his slender fingers lightly touching the space above his heart.

 _He's given up his nest for me…_


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** My apologies for this chapter, it came out a bit more sloppy than I intended. It kept rolling through my head, and I would write, re-write, re-write some more, and then, the end result was I abused the word blond. My apologies for that. Thank you to everyone who reads and especially reviews.

Cobalt eyes slowly opened the moment the tip of the arrowhead pressed against his Adam's apple. Heero's only response to the threat was the minute quirk of his brows into a shallow frown while his fingers sluggishly drug through the soggy forest debris by his hips as he clenched his fists.

"Where is your Charge, Keeper?" the deep voice graveled.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Heero answered, his disinterested voice belying his anger at the situation. How could he have slept, not having heard this man approach him? Even though the rain was falling in a steady patter, his keen ears should have picked out his steps easily. Furthermore, it was apparent to him that this hunter's query was far more exotic than the deer or rabbits that had fled when the tall man entered into the forest.

"Of course you don't," came the patronizing tone, followed by a twitch of a smile that pulled full lips upwards. The sinew string groaned as the hunter pulled it back further. "Where is your Charge?" It was a demand, not a question. The pale haired man had no time for games or deception and when his ice blue eyes leveled Heero with a dangerous glare, the Keeper knew that there was no denying the truth.

"He got away," Heero answered, his cold eyes daring the man to let the arrow fly.

The sinew stretched again before the arrow suddenly disappeared from Heero's throat, leaving in its wake a shallow wound. Blood trickled down his bare chest, mixing with the rain until it was diluted to faint pink near his navel.

The hunter laughed as he slipped it back into the quiver. "You're not much of a Keeper are you? I would offer to battle you for the privilege of gathering the information of where you hid your ward, but even I can see you're too wounded to satisfy me. It would be no fair fight and I would defeat you too easily. The battle would be over practically before it began," he stated arrogantly as he waved his kid-gloved hand in dismissal.

He turned, putting his back to Heero as he surveyed the area with steely eyes. "Yes," he agreed after a long moment. "He is gone. Injured you and left you behind?" When the Keeper didn't answer, he turned around. "Do you know who I am?"

"No."

The hunter's shoulders stiffened as if Heero had insulted his very manhood. "That's alright. You're young and inexperienced," he bit back at him. "I am Zechs Merquise, Captain of the Guard and his Excellency's personal huntsman."

"Is that supposed to empress me?" Heero returned with a dispassionate voice.

Zechs tilted his head slightly. "If you were a Keeper worth his salt, yes. However, I see what I am dealing with. A mere boy given the job of a man. Such a waste. Are you sure you didn't kill the unicorn yourself?"

 _I've thought about it_ , Heero's mind muttered to himself.

"As I've told you, he got away," Heero droned as he leaned his head against the rough bark of the tree. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get some rest so I can gather enough strength to go home."

"Not until I scour the area to make sure it's not close by. Then, I might spare your life so you can return _home_ ," Zechs said. He was smiling, but the light in his eyes was a cold promise of death for the unicorn.

::Duo… can you hear me?::

Duo lifted his head and gazed around the covered wagon with bleary eyes. The steady rocking of their journey had lulled him into a light nap.

::Heero! I can hear you! Barely! We must be getting close!::

::Stop where you are and don't come any closer.::

::What? _Why_? I got help! They're Keepers too, and one is even a healer!::

::It's too dangerous.::

::Too dangerous… Heero, are you okay?::

"Keeper, such a serious look all of a sudden," Zechs' voice broke the young man's concentration. "I've heard of mind links between Keeper and Charge, are you warning him to stay away?"

"I'm focusing on trying to make the pain in my knee go away," Heero answered immediately. When Zechs kneeled before him, Heero opened his eyes and stared up to him sullenly. "I think I broke it."

"That's a shame," Zechs clucked in a condescending manner. "You look like you might have had promise in battle. I think I might let you live. I would like to fight you one day. I know it would be most rewarding."

::Heero?::

::Don't come any closer, Duo. Please…::

"We have to stop the wagon," Duo said as he pulled open the flap to the covered passenger bench in the front. "I'm close enough to hear Heero in our mind link, but he says there's danger."

Sally turned her face to gaze at him. "Did he say what kind of danger?"

Duo shook his head. "No, he just said it was too dangerous and for us to stop."

"Damn, I wish Keepers could use mind links between one another like we can you guys," Noin sighed. "Stop here, Sally, I'll go out and head down the road and see what's going on."

"Alright," Sally agreed as Noin reached into the back of the wagon. She shuffled next to Duo for a moment beneath some blankets, and then pulled out her sword and staff. The staff was similar to Heero's, with little bells that made soft sounds to alert their charges of where they were in case one or the other wandered away.

"Don't get hurt," Duo said softly. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No," Noin said. "You stay here. Sally will keep you company."

"Yeah, sure," Duo sighed as he slumped dejectedly back into his seat.

* * *

Heero tilted his head noticing that the cold drizzle had begun to sting. It was turning to ice, soon snow would be falling, and if he couldn't get rid of this Hunter, this Zechs, things were going to turn from bad to worse.

::Heero… a Keeper is coming your way, she's a young female, her name is Noin, don't ask me to pronounce her first name, because there is _no_ way I am going to be able to do that without a lot of practice.::

Heero cleared his throat and turned his eyes away from Zechs, who was busy looking at the ground near him.

"There's another set of tracks, faint, almost unreadable," Zechs said. "I thought you were alone, Keeper."

"I never said I wasn't alone," Heero responded. "I said I lost my Charge."

"But there are no hoof prints here," Zechs countered as he approached the wounded young man.

Heero's cold eyes continued to pin him. "Because I lost him a few kilometers away. I walked until I couldn't anymore and rested."

"Who is your companion?"

"Does it matter?"

"Perhaps they will be more than willing to give up the location of your Charge."

"I doubt it."

::What kind of danger are you in? Heero? Can you hear me?::

::A hunter. A big hunter. Stay put.::

::Noin's coming. I should have told her, I didn't think to ask… he's… after me?::

Heero groaned softly as he touched his swollen knee, using it as a ruse to keep up the mind link. ::Yes, you are in danger, but I think he'll let me live. Catch up with her, tell her that she's been my companion, that we lost you and are on our way home. I sent _her_ out for help and she's the reason he's found the other set of footprints. _Your_ footprints. I don't think he knows you can switch forms. If that is the case, then that is information I do not want him to have::

Duo nodded to himself and slipped open the flap of the driver's bench. "He said I need to go talk to her before she gets any closer. Big hunters are there… looking for me and they found my foot prints." He wiggled his bare toes at her and then hopped out of the wagon. The rain was freezing and he wrapped his arms around his body as he trotted after Noin. She was still close, drawing near a curve that disappeared to the left, when he called to her softly. When she paused at his cry and turned, her expression melted from expectation to fear as he gave his breathless explanation.

"Alright, thank you, Duo, now go back to the wagon, hide in the back, cover up and backtrack through my steps, please. Tell Sally to drive the wheels in them. I know of only one hunter that is so skilled he can find tracks hidden in a foot of snow."

"A hunter that hunts… us?" he asked as he began to back up the way he had come, taking care to keep his steps within hers.

"Yes," she said gently.

"Why can't they just leave us alone?" Duo questioned softly. Noin only gave him a compassionate look before turning forward once again and walked through the rain that quickly began to change over to snow.

* * *

"Heero! Thank goodness I got back to you before this storm really decided to get nasty!" Noin called out. The King's soldiers were milling about, the bright red and blue of their uniforms standing out in the falling blanket of snow. No doubt to her at all who they were protecting. She swallowed thickly and stepped past two large men who pinned her with stern glares.

"Noin," Heero called as he continued to hold Zechs' eyes with his own. He gave the tall Hunter a tiny smirk as the other Keeper came over, kneeling by him.

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't come back sooner. What did you do, get into trouble again, you knucklehead?" she asked with a good natured smile as she ruffled the top of his head. "Little brothers," she exclaimed as if that explained everything. "I hope he wasn't too much of a handful…"

Zechs' full lips pulled into a tight line as he surveyed the female.

"Here," she said as she pulled off her outer tunic and slipped it over his head. "Thank you for taking care of me on my trip, however, I found some help."

Heero cut his eyes to her, his steely gaze making her stomach drop. So intense for someone only eighteen summers old. Wufei had been right, this Keeper had potential.

"I got everything we needed, just like you said," she said, holding his piercing gaze with hers. After a moment, he gave a light nod and then pushed off the ground. She took his arm, holding onto him as she offered Zechs a bright smile. "Thank you for watching over my brother Mr…"

"Zechs Merquise," he said as he put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Zechs Merquise," she repeated softly as she put her arm around Heero's waist. "Thank you," she said, her voice warm as she helped Heero hobble next to her.

"No need to thank me," he said as he began to follow them. "However, I have a few questions for you."

"Questions?" she looked over her shoulder as they continued to head towards the road. "I don't think right now is a good time, we need to get home, and I need to tend to his wounds."

"In time," Zechs answered. Ahead of them, two guards blocked their path, their swords drawn. "Where is the unicorn?"

"He…" she closed her mouth, and then lifted her head. "You're mad, sir."

"He knows," Heero grunted.

"I still say he's mad." She was angry and defiance burned in her dark violet eyes.

"Indeed," Zechs said. "And you haven't answered my question."

"I know who you are," she said. "And if _you_ can't find him here, then what does that tell you?" her sweet tone had turned to venom, and it only made the tall blond's smile grow larger.

"It tells me that there is another person that isn't accounted for."

"What? How?"

"You're wearing boots. I'm looking for someone barefoot. With feet larger than yours."

Heero froze, and then lowered his head as Zechs moved around them, his own sword drawn.

"He's gone," Heero said as he lifted his eyes, peering at the Hunter through his damp bangs. "And now that you're here, he will not return."

"Pity," Zechs sighed as he lifted his head and looked about. "I would love to see what they look like in human form."

::Duo… He _knows_.::

::Trust me, Heero. Do you trust me?::

Heero's arm gripped Noin's waist tightly as he leveled Zechs' with a glare that would melt silver. He lowered his head and began to walk forward, towards the tall blond who openly blinked at the audacity of the two Keepers.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"We're going home," Heero bit as he ground his jaw in frustration. The bells on his staff broke the silence as they jingled merrily while he stepped chest to chest with the Hunter, his stubborn will forcing the tall man to take a step back.

::Heero?::

::I trust you.::

::Good. Get to the road.::

::Heading there now.::

Duo peeked his face out of the flap and tugged Sally's sleeve. "We need to make the horses run. _Fast_."

Sally turned her face over her shoulder, her smile turning into a grin as she lifted the reins.

* * *

He was hot, but when he fumbled the covers off his body, he realized that the room was actually quite chilly. With a soft groan, Quatre fought to open his weary eye, and was pleased to see that his left cracked open as well. Some of the swelling had gone down, as well as a little bit of the pain. The vision was blurry, however, so he closed it and turned his head towards the flickering light of the hearth, where he was surprised to find Trowa sitting at his desk. Quatre watched him for a long moment, trying to piece together what this odd human was doing. He was holding a feather, and on occasion, he would dip it into a small jar, tap it and then move it to a piece of white… something… that was unfamiliar to the blond.

"You're awake," Trowa said without even lifting his eyes. He was busy writing; writing about his life as it were. He wasn't expecting an answer, so when the second soft moan reached his ears, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"You really shouldn't try to sit up, you're too injured to move about," Trowa broke the silence again, still without lifting his eyes to Quatre. His voice, however, was distracted and halting, as he paid more attention to his task than the blond who had forced himself into a sitting position.

Now that he could get his other eye open, and fight the blurry vision, Quatre took in the chamber. For a human, it would have provided more than enough room, but to him, who was used to the world and its space, it felt awfully cramped. Claustrophobic was a word he was unfamiliar with, but had been whispered into his ear at that moment, he would have nodded his head quickly with immediate understandment, and agreement, of it.

"Ah…"

Trowa lifted his head and turned his face to the blond, who sat staring at the window as if he could see the large heavy flakes of snow falling in the darkness beyond. His mouth was open and he was struggling to form words. Fascinated, Trowa leaned his elbow onto his desktop and watched the curious scene. Cerulean eyes moved towards him in jerky motions and again, the blond tried to speak, making the same 'ah!' sound as before while he fumbled over his first attempts at human speech.

"What is it?" Curiosity got the better of Trowa and he pushed his chair back, turning to sit on it sideways. For the first time since he had rescued him, he gave the injured man his full attention.

Quatre's lips parted again, trying to form another word before he let out an exasperated sigh. He locked his gaze with Trowa while he simultaneously wiped the sweat from his brow with one arm while his body was wracked with a shiver.

Trowa leaned forward, the chair not far from Quatre's side of the bed. With the reach of his long arm, he didn't have to lean forward too far, and therefore, was able to keep a respectable distance from the blond. Fingers, long and slender, were cool as they touched the warm forehead and Quatre closed his eyes at the relief, though his body continued to tremble lightly. Some of it was due to the fever, the lion's share, however, was due to fear.

"I'll get Cathy, she's a healer," Trowa spoke as he withdrew his arm. He blinked once, however, when the blond gripped his hand, pulling it back to his forehead and closing his eyes. Quatre couldn't help it, he felt ashamed of himself, but the coolness of the palm had brought him a bit of comfort and he wasn't so quick to relinquish just yet. Unconsciously, he pulled his lower lip between his teeth as the shame he felt began to show on his face. Trowa shifted, but managed to regain possession of his hand once again.

"I'll get Cathy," he repeated and rose.

Quatre dropped his hands into his lap and turned his attention back to the window. With his keen vision and even keener ears, he could make out the fat, heavy flakes of snow as they spiraled down beyond the window. The pale pristine flakes ebbed the darkness of night away. He shivered again, and then lifted his face as Cathy came into the room a few minutes later. He regarded her for a long moment, and then turned his eyes back to the window.

"Hi," she said as she came in, taking Trowa's chair and pulling it close to the bedside. "Trowa said you were trying to speak." When the blond didn't respond, she reached out, touching his arm gently. She held still as he hissed at her touch and eased his upper body to the side.

"It's alright," she soothed. "I'm not going to hurt you." Smiling, Cathy reached out, touching his forehead in the manner Trowa had described. Her palm was cool and Quatre closed his eyes at the relief. "Trowa, why don't you get that blue jar I have over the mantle and boil some water, put in one spoonful and mix it with some honey. That will help the fever."

"Yes, Cathy," Trowa said obediently before stepping out of the room.

"There, Trowa will make you something that'll make you feel better, but while we wait, do you think you can tell me your name?" she asked gently.

Quatre's brow furrowed under her fingers as he closed his eyes tightly. These humans had been so kind, so patient with him. Maybe… maybe he could trust them? His lips parted, but the only sound that came was a soft rushing of breath. Maybe. Maybe.

When the hand slipped from his forehead, he opened his eyes, slowly cutting them towards her face. He opened his mouth again, and then whispered.

"I'm sorry… I didn't hear you," Cathy said as she leaned closer. "Try again," she urged.

"Quatre," he breathed, cutting his eyes to the bed before looking at her again. Her countenance was open and pleased, as if he had given her a great gift. It confused him, but at the same time, he felt delighted to see such a kind and positive expression.

"Quatre," Cathy repeated. "That's a lovely name. It's nice to meet you, Quatre. You know you're safe here, right?"

He lowered his eyes again and shook his head. "No… I _don't_ know," he said. He found he could only speak at a whisper, his new body was still taking some time to get used to. Maybe things would have come quicker if he didn't have to spend so much time healing.

"Well, you are," she assured him. "Quatre… do you remember what happened to you?"

His head nodded once and then drew his knees up and leaned forward, as if trying to escape into his own lap.

"Can you tell me?"

"Bad humans." Inwardly he grimaced before catching himself when he caught the heavy frown on her face. "Men… bad men."

"Who're the bad men?" she asked.

Quatre shook his head. "Michael," he tasted the name and decided that he had pronounced it correctly. "And Jonathon?" He looked to her as if expecting that she knew them. Cathy only shook her head slowly.

"They hurt you? Why?"

"Because I'm… not like them," he said.

"How do you mean?"

A slender shoulder shrugged. He couldn't tell her the truth, if he did, told them what he was, they would beat him too. They would tie him outside with a rope around his neck, forced to suffer the cold and snow. He felt a tear form in his good eye and when he lifted his face to her, he released it with a blink. Just beneath the surface of his defiant expression, Cathy could see the raw emotions roiling.

"They did really bad things to you, didn't they?" she whispered.

"Bad things," Quatre echoed, and then lowered his head. "And you will, too."

"I will? Why? I've never done anything bad to anybody before," she said. It hurt to see the thin veil of trust he had begun to show rip away like old spider webs.

"Because of what I am," he explained as he turned his eyes once more to the window.

"What are you?" she asked gently.

"I can't tell you, you'll hurt me."

"I don't want to hurt anybody," Cathy reasoned as she reached out to gently touch a curl at the back of his neck. He froze, and a tear rolled down his left cheek. She looked up as Trowa appeared through the flap, carrying a ceramic mug with the medicine.

"Just one spoonful?" she asked as he handed it to her.

"Yes."

"And honey?"

"Yes…"

"Thank you, Trowa. Trowa, I want you to meet Quatre. Quatre, this is Trowa."

"I know," Quatre whispered softly. "You've spoken his name before."

Trowa paused at the foot of the bed, looking at the blond as if seeing him for the first time. The voice was so strong for a whisper, and gentle, it belied every hateful and nasty glare that had been tossed at him since their guest had regained consciousness.

"Trowa, why don't you sit and talk with Quatre for a while? He does need his rest, but a little company would be good for him and you two need to get to know each other," Cathy suggested as she helped him sip from the mug.

"Don't think so," Trowa grunted as he moved to stand over his desk.

"I'm going to break you out of that shell if it kills me," Cathy admonished her brother gently as she rose and pushed his chair towards him. "Be nice," she whispered. "It would do you well to have friends." She turned to Quatre and smiled before running her fingers through her bangs. "I need to get some bread dough going if we want it fresh in the morning. Goodnight, boys. Trowa, if he needs the chamber pot, please help him with it. And don't stay up too late talking, we need our sleep," she said with a laugh as she headed to the flap.

Quatre looked from her to Trowa, and then back. Siblings. They were nothing alike. Cathy was so full of life where Trowa acted like he'd be happier in a cave. Strange things, these humans.

"Trowa will sleep in the bed with you, if you don't mind. Don't worry, he doesn't snore," Cathy said as she pushed open the flap. She smirked as she as rewarded with a glare from her younger brother. "I mean it, Trowa. I don't want you sleeping on that cold hard floor, I'm getting him better, I don't need you sick now. Goodnight, boys!"

* * *

"Trowa! You're going to catch your death of cold sleeping on the floor like that!" Cathy exclaimed as she came into the room to check on her charge. "For goodness sake, I'm trying to break his fever, I don't need you to come down with one yourself, mister! And did you help him with the chamber pot?"

Trowa grumbled softly in response.

Quatre's brows twitched once at the unexpected scolding, soft as it was, that broke through his troubled slumber. Trowa answered once more, his voice thick and sullen, and then once again, Cathy began to scold him gently before coming around the bed. Quatre was vaguely aware of her easing him onto his side, and then as she pressed her hand against his lower belly, he relaxed and let his mind slip away into that fuzzy fog of almost-sleep. He felt the pressure of his bladder ease as she aided him to urinate in a jug and without preamble; he was eased onto his back again.

Trowa, not too keen on sharing his bed with the blond, only grumbled at his sister. They kept their voices low, but it was too no avail, she had won and Trowa was pulling himself off the floor, where he begrudgingly sat down on his own bed.

"Lie down and go to sleep," she instructed firmly. Apparently it was a voice she didn't use often, because Trowa closed his mouth, pulled back the covers and obeyed her. Quatre turned his head to the right, watching the young woman as she disappeared from the room in a huff.

"She's…"

"Go to sleep," Trowa grumbled foully.

Quatre shifted again, staring at the back of Trowa's head. He wasn't sure how quickly the tall man slipped into sleep, but he did decide that he enjoyed the color of his hair. The glow of the fire, dying from the passing night, cast hues of red and gold through the short-shorn hair. It reminded Quatre of the color of sunsets in the autumn, when the fading light fell upon the colorful leaves. He liked the way it was so short in the back, and his curiosity questioned if it was as soft as it looked. And how did he manage to get it so short?

In his real body, Quatre had been proud of his own long mane, but the men had cut it before he turned. However, it wasn't so bad. He liked the feel of his new human hair. It was soft and he didn't have to worry about tending it in this condition. Maybe when he got to feeling better, he would see how long it would grow. He didn't like the thought of going back to his true form with a roached mane anyway. How embarrassing. Duo would never let him live that down.

Quatre closed his eyes for a long moment, and then opened them, directing his gaze back to the window. Though his sleep had been troubled when Cathy woke them both, he had at least been sleeping. Now, he found it eluding him. Maybe he was switching back to his nocturnal nature? That's the safest time to be awake, when no one could see you. Lost in his thoughts, he bit back a yelp when Trowa shifted in his sleep, rapidly rolling over on his belly to switch sides, his questing hand coming out and resting on Quatre's stomach. When he was able to control his frightened breathing, and made sure his heart wouldn't burst through his chest, he gazed down at the hand.

 _Odd things, these humans_.

Gently, he reached his own hand down, sensitive fingertips trailing over the long digits that curled in relaxed slumber. They moved over the veins along the top of Trowa's hand, down the knuckles, touched the wrist. It was a beautiful creation, but yet… such a pity that something as beautiful as a hand could cause so much pain. So much damage. So much death. Quatre continued to touch the soft flesh almost reverently. Trowa didn't like people it seemed. Sometimes, he even seemed to go out of his way just to keep from making physical contact. Quatre wondered why as he trailed his fingertip along a fingernail.

* * *

Smoke. The bad dreams always came with the heavy, acrid smell of smoke. Trowa put his hands over his face and stepped away, his eyes burning as the fire flared up with a guttural roar.

Figures ran past him, but he couldn't make any particular person out; they were too charred to be recognizable. People were screaming. People were on fire. People were on fire, rushing past him, screaming. A horse squealed and a dog yelped. People were screaming and they were burning.

Trowa was no longer Trowa, but a child version of himself. Three or four summers old and he stood and watched as the flames reached to the sky to lick at the stars. The heat was impressive and he covered his mouth with his small hand, backing away as fear tried to drown his mind with irrational decisions.

 _Go. Go into the fire. Embrace it. It's warm there. It's safe there. Your parents are waiting for you there. Cathy's there…_

"No!" he cried out, his voice high pitched, beyond the teetered edge of panic. "I don't want to go into the fire! I want Momma! Poppa! Cathy! Where are you?!"

"Bye Trowa!" a child Catherine called cheerfully as she walked past him, heading towards the large colorful tent that was reduced to nothing more than support struts and pitch wire.

"Cathy no! Don't go into the fire! Don't go, you'll get burned!"

The little girl turned and waved again, her laughter swallowed up by the sound of the massive tent collapsing as soon as she stepped into the door. More people ran past her, blackened, some unable to scream anymore, but still they ran.

 _You're all alone_ , a voice whispered. It was all encompassing and Trowa began to weep bitterly as he turned in a circle. Now that the tent had collapsed, it seemed as if the people didn't care that they were burned beyond recognition. They simply continued on with their dream lives.

"Momma!" he cried again, but the fire was still raging, demanding that everything, even sound, submit to it.

Trowa hiccupped, his tears staining the ash and soot on his face and he began to back away, the heat was getting too much for him to bear. When he stumbled, he turned and realized that there was a new person, one he had never seen before. The blond slowly took a knee before him and studied his face with a curiosity that made the child grow still. Maybe with this person here, he wouldn't have to be alone?

"I… I _know_ you," the blond said. "I've… _seen_ you before… when I was young."

Trowa sniffled, but the flow of tears had finally stopped. "They're all gone," he said as he turned his morose face towards the tent. It had just collapsed and the fire had died with a weak whimper. "I'm alone now." He stated this with a morbid sense of acceptance.

"That's not true," the blond said softly. Slowly extending his hand, and gazing at it curiously, as if he had never seen it before, he reached out and placed it upon the small shoulder. Realization slowly broke over his face and Quatre pulled in a breath. "Trowa…" he spoke as an ache began to pulse in his heart. "It's you, isn't it? This is why you're so cold…"

 _Because the fire burned so hot…_

The child turned his tear stained face back to the blond, raw emotion easily read in the cherubic features. "They're all gone… I'm alone."

 _That's why you're so… closed off. You're afraid of being abandoned…_

Quatre shook his head and rose, offering his hand to the child-Trowa. "No, you're not alone. You know this is just a bad dream… don't you?"

"It is?" the child looked around, confused, and then back up to Quatre as he took the offered hand.

"Is this how you lost your parents?"

The head nodded slowly, the eyes going soft and vulnerable. Quatre felt Trowa had long forgotten how to feel such emotions as his dream self was showing.

"I remember you… I saw you once when I was young, but you were older than you are now… you were pulling a wagon." Quatre began to walk; away from the tent and taking the child away from his source of horror. "You were the first young human I had ever seen."

"But you're human, too." The voice was slightly older and Quatre was surprised to see the lad he had spoken of walking with him now, holding his hand.

"You saved my life."

"What are you?"

"Even safe in your dream, could I be so bold as to trust you? My kind and humans aren't always on the best of terms."

"If I saved your life, then why take it later?"

"I don't know… I've never understood humans."

"Dreams are safe places… sometimes."

"Sometimes," Quatre agreed.

"What if I don't remember if I wake up?"

"Don't you mean _when_ you wake up?"

Nine-year-old Trowa's face turned downcast as he stared as his feet while they walked. "Sometimes I don't want to. But then, when I feel like that, I feel really bad. I don't want to leave Cathy behind, I'm all she's got. That… that wouldn't be right." He lifted his face and squinted up to the blond as the sun broke through heavy clouds.

"No," Quatre agreed as he shook his head. He squeezed the hand he was holding gently as they walked along a path. "She needs you, she shouldn't be alone."

"Are you alone?"

"No," Quatre answered softly. "Nor do I like to be, so I understand your fear."

They walked in silence for a long while, walked until they reached a shady path where trees grew on either side. Water burbled somewhere and the sound of children laughing reached their ears. "Here," Quatre said. "Here is a much happier place for you to be." He paused and gazed down at nine-year-old Trowa. "This is safe."

"I… don't know how to make it safe," nine-year-old Trowa admitted. "When I go back to sleep, I don't know how to find _here._ " He lifted his head and pinned Quatre with defiant eyes. "What are you?" he demanded.

Quatre tilted his head and then let out a sigh. "Have you ever seen a unicorn?"

Nine-year-old Trowa's eyes widened briefly before he veiled them once again. "No," he said. The simple statement, and nothing more, caused Quatre to relax. At least he wasn't scolded about how unicorns were nothing more than myth, or legend. Especially not from a human child that was young enough to believe in the tales.

"Do you understand why I don't want to share that information?"

"How come you look human?"

"Because it was the only way I knew how to survive the bad things those men did to me. The bad things you rescued me from."

Nine-year-old Trowa studied Quatre's face intently, and then he nodded. "Beautiful things shouldn't have to die," he murmured.

" _Only_ the beautiful things?" Quatre asked.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Trowa said. He began to swing their hands slowly as he led Quatre down the path.

* * *

Trowa slowly opened his eyes, surprised to the fact that tears were gathered in his lashes. He blinked, and then rubbed them slowly away with his knuckles before letting out a gasp. Quatre was sitting up, leaning over him and gazing at him with a soft, yet shielded expression. Before he could utter the first nasty thing that came to mind, the blond spoke gently.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," the blond whispered before easing back down onto the pillow, rolling over to put his back to Trowa, and settling back in to sleep.

Trowa put his hand over his chest, trying desperately to hang onto the dream. Perhaps Quatre was just parroting what he himself had been mumbling aloud?


	8. Chapter 8

The sun was warm on his face and neck, which was odd, since it was early spring. Normally winter's hold would last just a bit longer. With a shrug, Trowa stepped towards the forest, into the inviting cool of the shadows. Birds took wing above him, their calls serene as they perched along boughs further up the path. Wind rustled sweet smelling honey suckle and just between two large trees, he spied a small creek. Sun broke through a slow moving cloud and sent sparkles to dance over the surface of the moving water.

"Hello," a soft voice said. Trowa turned his face and tilted his head as Quatre made his way towards him. The small blond walked barefoot through the grass, taking his time as he approached the tall archer, and in silence, they regarded each other at their leisure.

"I don't know this place," Trowa finally spoke up.

Quatre gave a minute nod and then swept his gaze about. "It's a safe place, as good as any," he answered.

"You're angry."

"Yes."

"Because of what happened to you? Those men?"

"Those _humans_ ," Quatre corrected as a light sneer began to tug at his lips. " _Why_?" he asked. "I never even knew those men existed, and yet they hunted my family and I. Why did they hurt me? Why did they try to kill me?"

"Because they were fools," Trowa answered after a long pause to gather his thoughts. "That's why. Some people find the need to destroy that which they do not understand." He watched as Quatre balled his fists at his sides, a look of thinly veiled frustration marring his lovely features. A soft breeze puffed up, bringing with it sweet summer smells that ruffled his pale bangs, hiding his eyes for a moment.

"You should forgive them," Trowa said, his voice oddly detached.

"I should, yes, but it's hard," Quatre spoke up after rolling his answer over and around in his mind. "I should…"

"Why are you so distrusting of Catherine and I?"

"I'm afraid of you."

"There's no need to be afraid."

Cerulean eyes lifted up to pin Trowa with a sharp expression and together with forest green, they battled out their wills silently. When the tall archer lifted his hand to touch Quatre's cheek, the smaller form moved away nimbly, keeping a respectable distance between the two. Overhead, dark clouds began to grow, casting shadows over meadows that stretched lazily beyond the burbling brook. Trowa took a step forward, Quatre another step back, his shoulders up and tense, fists still balled by his sides.

"Easy," Trowa murmured, unable to talk himself out of his impulsive behavior. He couldn't stop himself if he tried. The only thing his heart was telling him to do was just touch Quatre, let him see that he meant the wild boy no harm. "It's alright," he soothed.

Mistrustful eyes glared at the outstretched hand that was slowly making its way to his face.

 _The only time you've ever been around humans was a disaster, you must trust me. I won't hurt you._ Trowa stepped forward again, boldly, and this time, Quatre, as if he had heard Trowa's thoughts, held his ground. His body grew even more rigid and he began to tremble, his eyes growing even harder as fingers lightly caressed his cheek.

"Why do you care?" Quatre asked as he fought the urge to snatch his face away from the intrusive touch. "You wall yourself off from the world, nursing your shattered heart. You barely let your sister in! _Why_ do you feel the need to comfort _me_ , Trowa?"

Trowa paused, his hand trembling. "I don't… I don't know."

"How do you think you can fix me, when you can't even help yourself?" Now Quatre's voice was gentle, but firm. He reached out, pressing his palm to Trowa's chest.

"You'll have to show me how," Trowa whispered, as if in a trance. Quatre nodded and turned his eyes upwards, to the dark clouds that were gathering above. He lowered them enough to make eye contact with Trowa, and after tilting his head slightly, a small smirk began to pull up the corner of the blond's mouth.

"Catch me."

Trowa opened his mouth to question the odd order, but before he could speak, laughter erupted from the small youth as he turned and bolted away. It was clear, full of joy and mischief and it made the tall archer's heart clench. Tightening his lips into a boyish smirk of his own, Trowa gave chase. "I'm coming, Quatre!" he warned. Laughter once again answered him as the fleet-footed blond bolted towards the brook, leaping it nimbly as he headed towards the vast meadow that lie beyond. Trowa, though his legs were longer, found the speed of the other almost astounding. He lowered his head, pumping his arms at his sides as he made an effort to keep up with him.

"You can't catch me!" Quatre taunted as he topped a rise on a small hill and just to tease Trowa, halted and turned. His blue-green eyes widened in delight and he let out a shout, once again running as a hand reached out to snag him.

"Oh yeah?" Trowa asked as he put on a burst of speed. Quatre squealed again, the sound full of delighted excitement as he ducked and dodged the tall brunette.

They ran, chasing the shadows cast by the clouds as they darted before the face of the sun in the sky. Wind ruffled their hair, and sometimes, they scared up a bird or two that was hiding in the thick, tall grass. Quatre's face was an open ray of sunshine, his smile bright and cheerful and aimed at Trowa each time he turned his head to gauge where the human was. Trowa, surprised at the fact that he should have been out of breath by now, only answered the smile each time it was presented to him with a large grin of his own.

They ran, until they found themselves in an old forest, and here, Quatre disappeared with the ease common to his kind. Trowa jogged between the large trees until he halted, looking around. A fear began to worm its way into his heart.

Abandonment. Did Quatre bring him here just to lose him? The emotion overwhelmed him as he tilted his head back to gaze at the tops of the mighty oak trees. Insecurity gripped his soul and he felt the urge to withdraw into himself, hide away into his own heart, until the pain ebbed. He began to back away as panic twisted its fingers into his mind, his heart racing until he heard that soft laugh again.

"You don't trust me, Trowa," Quatre's voice was a whisper all around him. "How can I trust you if you won't even trust me? I'm smaller than you, how could I ever bring you harm?"

You could throw me away…

"Like your parents did?"

"They didn't…" Trowa turned in a slow circle, trying to locate the source of the voice.

"But you blame them for their own deaths, Trowa, don't you?"

Trowa shook his head, and then paused. Yes. Yes he did blame them for leaving. He was angry at them, felt betrayed by the people who had once loved him enough to stay alive. Tears welled up in his eyes and he scrubbed them away harshly.

"They didn't leave you on purpose," Quatre said softly. Trowa flinched and jerked away, realizing that Quatre was now standing at his right elbow. "To heal, you have to learn to trust," Quatre said in a thoughtful manner. "That's why… I think I am going to trust you and Cathy. You've been so kind to me, how could I ever think you would do me harm? To even give up your nest for me?"

"My nest?" Trowa asked hoarsely as he continued to rub at his eyes.

"Where we sleep."

"My bed?"

"Yes," Quatre answered with a nod. "We have the same tongue, but you humans have so many words, much more than we need to use." He gave Trowa a gentle smile. "You share your bed with me. I like that, even though I'm afraid of being so close. I… I'll try to not be so afraid. I didn't realize we were so much alike."

Stepping away from Trowa, Quatre poised himself as graceful as a deer and canted his head to the side. He listened intently. "I must go, something… is wrong."

"Quatre?" Trowa asked as he reached out a hand to the blond.

"I _will_ return!" Quatre promised in a firm voice, and like a flash, he was gone. "I hear horses. Running."

* * *

The rosy hues of the morning sun couldn't reach through the dark heavy clouds surrounding the region like sorrow. The rooster, however vigilant in his duty, crowed loudly that morning, seconds before the loud thud startled both Trowa and Catherine out of their deep sleep. When Trowa sat up, he flinched when he realized that Quatre was already sitting up in the bed, his head tilted as he strained to hear more.

"What was that?" Trowa breathed, his body stiff with a fight or flight tension.

"I… don't know," Quatre whispered back, his eyes turned to the window, his face lost in concentration. "But there were horses… they ran past…"

The covers rustled loudly as Trowa shoved them off of his body. When he ducked through the flap, Cathy was just coming down the stairs, her eyes wide with fear, and yet still sluggish from sleep.

"What _was_ that?" she breathed as she clutched her gown at her throat.

"Go back upstairs," Trowa ordered. "Whatever it is, I'll handle it."

"Trowa…" She let out a sigh at the stern look he gave her. "Just be careful."

He nodded once and went back to his room, dressing quickly and gathering his bow and quiver. He had a fleeting moment to see that just one glance at his weapon had the young blond cowering against the head of the bed, his lips parted in fear. An image came to Trowa's mind suddenly. A bright meadow, tall heads of grass swaying in a summer breeze. Quatre, laughing and running from him, face turned over his shoulder and his joyful gaze piercing his soul. A sun kissed brook where the light of the sun broke over the busy surface like diamonds. Trowa's hand gripped the handle of his bow tighter and he tilted his head.

"I dreamed of you… I…"

Quatre tilted his head.

"We were running…" Trowa whispered. "Playing… but that's so odd. I don't do that." Without waiting for a response, he ducked through the deerskin flap.

"Not yet, anyway," Quatre sighed and gave the still rustling flap a knowing look.

* * *

The crash had been deafening.

"Heero! _Heero_!" Duo called out as he scrambled to the back of the overturned wagon. The escape plan had been a good idea, in theory. While they had gotten away, daring and luck-filled as it had been, they had made a mistake to allow the horses to have their heads and run as fast as they could. It was foolish on that chaotic road, where the mud was churned and thick. One of the large wagon wheels had gotten caught in a deep rut made as the road began to freeze, snapping the axel. The tongue of the wagon twisted as the carriage turned, snapping loose and freeing the horses to flee in panic as the structure skidded along on its side before catching the grassy edge of the road. Once the friction of momentum had been polarized from the slick mud to the rough earth, the wagon flipped, rolling towards the tree line and tossing Heero out when it collided with a large trunk and spun a hundred and eighty degrees. The Keeper, and a lot of the goods within, spilled out and lay strewn among the forest floor and roadside. To Duo's horror he realized, as he crawled through the broken wreckage, that he could hear his Keeper moaning beneath the destroyed structure.

"Heero…?"

"ooooo…" a soft groan answered him.

He began pawing at the broken pieces of lumber, trying to pry them away. He didn't like the intrusive feeling of protection to his Keeper, and he tried to fight the surge of compassion down. As far as Duo was concerned, he was a lone wolf in the world of his people. Yet, he just couldn't stop his hands from digging at the splintered boards of the wreckage beneath him, even though he felt this was a great affront to his independence; his instinct was to protect his Keeper as much as it was his Keeper's to protect him. He let out frustrated sounds as wood, bound with heavy nails, refused to pull completely free. "I'm comin'… Heero… just hang on, okay? _Don't you die on me_!"

The soft groan repeated itself, full of misery. There was a catch of breath and another soft sound. Duo's heart twisted in his chest and he began to dig harder, feeling the splinters tear into his soft palms. Hooves would have dug through so much easier. A terrible thought occurred to him; if Heero died, would he be stuck in his body forever? Surely another Keeper would be able to change him back? What troubled him most, however, was that at that moment, he didn't care. He only cared about reaching Heero, who was in agony from his wounds. It troubled Duo that that was what caused him so much concern. He felt guilt at the knowledge that since he and Heero had met, he had been the cause of so much misery to his Keeper. _Maybe I'm just bad luck_? Duo thought to himself as he continued to fervently dig.

"Who goes there?" Trowa's smooth voice questioned with authority. He drew the bowstring back as he came around the bank of trees that separated his home from the intrusion of seasonal traffic, most on their way to or from their monthly market trip, his finger pointing with the tip of the arrow.

Duo scrambled back, trying hard not to exasperate any injury Heero might have. He had no idea where Sally and Noin were, or if they were even still alive. The wounded Keeper moaned again and Duo staggered towards Trowa, pain etched on his face. "Help?" he tried, his brows furrowed. He lifted his shredded hands in a form of surrender.

Trowa's expression softened and he cast his gaze about while he slowly lowered his bow, unknicked his arrow and put it back into the quiver.

"My Kee…" Duo pointed to the wagon behind him, panic etched on his face. "My friend… my _friend_ is under there! We did something, we did something wrong, I don't know what happened, we were going and then we… it tripped and fell…" He held up his raw and bloody hands once again. "I tried to dig him out, but it won't help me, and I don't know what else to do! It's too heavy to pick up, I tried!"

His accent was correct, but his use of words confused Trowa. Didn't this strange, braided youth understand the simple word accident? Or wreck? _It won't help me? And what do you mean the wagon 'tripped and fell'?_ He thought to himself. _How very odd_. He strung the bow across his chest and headed over, but then paused as something else came to him. From a dream he had been yanked out of. Quatre had told him "We have the same tongue, but you humans have so many words, much more than we need to use." Trowa shook his head and continued towards the injured stranger.

"The wagon's busted up; but maybe we can still set it back to rights." He lifted his eyes to Duo, who seemed distraught and confused. Trowa surmised that the young man must have taken a pretty good knock to the head when the wagon rolled. "But I can't do it alone. Stay here, I'll get my horse. Are there any other people with you?"

"Sally and Noin," Duo said as he looked about, rubbing the back of his head slowly. His eyes were dazed and dull. "I don't see them anywhere…"

"I'll be right back. Do you want to come with me? My sister is a healer."

Duo shook his head and then grimaced as his vision swam. "No… I want to stay with Heero… tell me he won't die… okay?" He ducked his head and cut his large expressive eyes to Trowa and for a moment, Trowa felt a familiar pang. Quatre had large expressive eyes, too, and like this stranger, he knew just how to use them.

"I won't be long, just keep him talking. I'll send my sister out to help." He felt guilty for not telling the strange youth what he wanted to hear, but how could he tell him that his friend wouldn't die? For all he knew, the friend was already dead, and besides, the young man was asking the impossible from him; comfort.

* * *

"Cathy, there was an accident," Trowa said as soon as he opened the door. "One injured, one trapped under the wagon, two missing."

Catherine nodded as she stepped through the deerskin flap of Trowa's room and went about gathering the items she needed. While Trowa was assessing the situation, she had wisely taken the time to get herself dressed and then checked on Quatre, who was still sitting bolt upright on the bed.

"I should help," Quatre called softly.

"No, you lie still and rest, _you're_ still injured, if case you've forgotten, mister," she fussed at him gently as she gathered linen for wraps and thick wooden rods for splints, if they were needed. She put a pot over the fireplace and went to the bathroom to fill a pitcher with water, carrying it back and forth until the large cast iron pot was filled.

Movement in the bush caught Duo's eye and he staggered over as Sally sat up on her knees, holding her head in one hand. "Noin?" she called for her sister. "Lucrezia! Answer me!"

"I'm here," Noin responded weakly. "Just… hang on… let me catch my breath…"

"Are you hurt?"

"I… don't think so, but I'm going to feel this for a while," Noin answered as she sat up. She lifted her face, her expression softening as Duo kneeled down next to her as snow once again decided to fall in thick heavy flakes. They swirled lazily around them like dancers. "Duo…"

"Heero… He's trapped," Duo said, his voice raspy as he gripped his friends' upper arms and pulled gently to get her to stand.

Noin moaned and held onto Duo for a moment longer, and then turned to Sally. "C'mon, let's get up and walk, make sure we're not hurt too bad."

"What happened to you guys?" Duo asked as he let the female cling to him as they walked to Sally.

"We jumped," Sally said as she let them help her to her feet. "Let's go check on Heero, I need to see how badly he's wounded. Did that man say he was going to bring his horse?"

"Yeah," Duo said as they trudged through the thick mud to reach the other side, where the wagon lie. "Heero! Can you hear me?" he called as he once again made his way to the area he had been digging.

"yeah," Heero groaned.

"How badly are you injured?" Sally asked. She squatted down and put her hands on the broken frame while she looked at the tree it was twisted into. Somewhere under this mess was the young Keeper, she couldn't imagine how it must be for him. Wounded and trapped with no way to get out.

"it's bad," Heero said softly. "Sally… Noin… I want you to protect Duo."

"Heero… it's not down to that," Sally said as she reached into a hole within the wreckage. Her fingers bumped along an axel, a few broken boards, and then touched something that was warm and soft. "Heero?"

"That's my shoulder," Heero responded quietly. "Just take care of Duo… please. Don't fail where I did."

"Heero… there's help on the way, just hang in there, please." Her hand gripped his shoulder gently, and she didn't care much for how the bones ground together. He let out a soft cry of pain and then went still beneath her hand.

* * *

Oscar walked beside Trowa with his head up, his breath blowing harshly as they approached the wreck and the strangers. His harness jingled and he nickered once when Duo rose up to see that help was there.

"I have a chain," Trowa said as he unwound it and wrapped it around the hame ball on the collar. He sorely needed a new harness, he surmised as he uncoiled the rest of the chain out and headed to the wagon. "I need to hook this somewhere sound."

"I'll climb up," Noin said. "Heero… forgive me…"

"Is he alive?" Trowa asked as he watched the dark haired female carefully pull herself up onto the side of the wagon.

"Yes," she said. "But he's badly hurt."

"Then we'll hurry," Trowa said nonchalantly.

Oscar stood across the muddy road, his head turned as he watched Duo. He nickered again and shifted, but made no further move until it was time. They were busy trying to find a good place to hook the chain. The last thing they needed was for the wagon to be partially raised, only for the support the chain was attached snap in two under the pressure and sending the wagon crashing back down onto Heero's wounded body. Trowa must have been thinking along the same lines. "I'll have Oscar move fast and hard, but if you guys are able and he can withstand it, grab him and pull, just in case this thing breaks."

The girls nodded in turn and then Noin eased herself down. "I think I got it hooked to a good place."

"Good, then get ready," Trowa said as he walked to Oscar's side. "Alright, boy," he patted the broad shoulder. "Fast and hard, don't slack it."

The big colt shook his mane out and blew again, sensing the excitement going around him. His delicate ears flicked back to Trowa and then forward and at the command, a loud "HA!" from his master, he threw himself forward into the collar and surged. Muscles stood out in his hindquarters, his barrel heaved and his head went down. The wagon shimmied once, threatened to drag instead of tip, but finally, horsepower and gravity worked together and it began to right itself. Trowa decided, since the broken wheel was face down, he'd flip the wagon over and drag it across the road, out of the way. Oscar tugged, finding it so very odd to be on the wrong side of a carriage, but he trusted Trowa, and with a half rear, he pulled the broken structure through the quickly freezing mud, to the far end of the road.

When it was over, he gathered up the chain and wound it up, hooking it over the hame ball and leading Oscar back into the yard, where he tied him up at the hitch. Cathy was coming out, carrying an old, large sewing basket that she used for medical supplies. She bustled past her brother, running towards the small group of people huddled over the broken form at the base of the tree. Trowa followed after her at a more leisurely pace.

"Heero…" Noin asked. "Please open your eyes," she said as Cathy knelt on the ground next to her.

Heero groaned softly as the young redhead began to assess his wounds. "We don't have a place for him in the house, but the barn is warm, it's clean and you're more than welcome to stay in there. I know that sounds bad to just put him in there, but it's so much larger than what we need it for…"

"There's no need to apologize," Sally said. "That's more than a generous offer." If these kind strangers only knew that Heero had probably never stepped foot into a house in his young life.

"You're all welcome to stay here and recuperate," Cathy said as she checked Heero's pulse. It was weak.

"Thank you," Noin said. "We live but a two day journey from here, not far at all, we do need to get our horses, they're like old friends to us and we want to make sure they aren't injured. We'll come back and bring some provisions, we don't want to be a drain on your resources."

"How very kind of you," Cathy said as she trailed her fingers along Heero's shoulder. "It's badly broken," she murmured to herself before untying his tunic, exposing his chest. Her fingers trailed down his bruised skin, brushing along his sternum and ribs, feeling for injuries and finding them. "We'll need something to move him. Trowa, don't we have that old door that we replaced last fall?"

He nodded and rose. "I'll put some fresh straw down in the nearest stall, then bring it so we can get him out of this cold," he said.

Cathy nodded, and then turned her face to Duo, who was hovering close to his Keeper. "I'll take good care of your friend," she assured the braided youth.

"I'm a healer as well," Sally said as she rose. "You won't have to take on this responsibility alone. I need to see if any of my supplies survived."

"I'll help you look," Noin said as she looked around at the items that were strewn about. "I'll gather everything up so we can carry it back home. What a mess. Damn that Zechs," she sighed.

"Zechs?" Cathy asked. "Isn't he Baron Khushrenada's personal hunter?"

"Yes, and he's the cause for all of this," Noin said bitterly as she began to gather items as she came upon them.

"Why?"

"I… wish I could tell you," Noin said dejectedly.

* * *

Night had fallen and a thick blanket of snow covered the land by the time Cathy was finished treating injuries of various degrees. Heero lie on a blanket, surrounded by thick, sweet smelling straw, his body covered in bandages and splints. Duo was resting, curled next to him; his poor hands now free of splinters bore salve and bandages of their own. He had fared well, escaping with cuts and bruises and a heavy heart for his Keeper. The girls had fared ever better, having jumped from the wagon the moment it started to turn. Heero had yet to fully waken since giving his orders to Noin and Sally to watch over Duo and to protect him where he had failed.

Trowa came in and sat down heavily onto his chair. He had tended the animals after sending the Keepers into the house to get warm while Cathy prepared a thick stew. Despite his cold and stoic demeanor, he realized he must have done something to charm those ladies. As hard as he tried to be disinterested in them, they chose to see him as a friend. Perhaps because he had helped them, but in their situation, who wouldn't?

"Now," Cathy said as she bustled about the kitchen. "Since you insist on leaving in the morning, I want you to take my bed, I won't have any arguments. I'm also sending you along with some food and a spare blanket. You'll be back so you can just bring that back," she said with a smile in her good natured way. "But I won't have anyone leave this place hungry."

"You're very kind," Sally said as she sipped the tea put before her. "Are you sure the boys won't be a problem for you?"

"Not at all," Cathy said as she checked the potatoes in the pot. "I'm sure they need their rest and I wouldn't feel comfortable moving Heero for a very long time." She added a bit more salt and some garlic before stirring it again. "Besides, we already have a wounded man sharing Trowa's bed. I feel like I have a real hospital here, now."

"Wounded?" Noin asked.

"Yes," Trowa said as he gazed at the hearth rather than his guests. "I found him a week ago. Someone had beaten him and left him for dead with a noose tied around his neck."

"That's horrible!" Sally exclaimed, but kept her voice lowered now in consideration of the injured. She didn't want to wake him lest he was resting. "Are you _sure_ we should be here, taking up your time and energy?"

"You're fine, you're fine," Cathy assured her. "It's good to have people here. I keep telling Trowa that it's not a bad thing to be around others."

"Did he tell you what had happened to him?"

Trowa was quiet for a long moment before crossing one ankle over his knee. "He said it was two men who confused him for… something. They were disappointed and decided to punish him and leave him for dead. He's badly frightened of people. I can certainly understand why."

"What is this world coming to," Sally asked as she gave her head a soft shake. "May I see him? Perhaps I can offer more assistance? Not to say that you aren't a fantastic healer in your own rights," she said to Cathy, but the young redhead wasn't offended at her offer.

"Don't think so," Trowa answered before his sister could. "He's resting and he's frightened of strangers. I don't want to give him cause for alarm. He'll be fine."

"Well, okay," Sally said, giving her sister a funny look. She and Noin would have a lot to talk about on the subject of Trowa. Starting with his good looks, to his closed off, anti-social behavior, then back around to his good looks. It would make the two day journey pass rather quickly.

"If you'd like a bath, just let me know," Cathy smiled as she brought bowls of stew to her guests. "I'll draw you one up."

"Oh, no, we couldn't ask that of you," Sally exclaimed. All that work for them after they had worked side by side all day. "You're just too generous."

"Oh, it's nothing at all, I'll show you when we get done. We have hot water that runs right into the house!"

"Hot…water that runs right into the house?" Noin asked in surprise.

"Yes," Cathy beamed at her brother as she brought him a bowl. "It was Trowa's idea, and it caught on in the village. I'm so proud of him, he's so smart."

" _Cathy_!" Trowa groused as he rose, carrying his bowl and some bread to the deerskin flap. "Have some decorum!" he said with indignation before slipping into his room to share his meal with Quatre, who wasn't in the habit of bragging on him to strangers. He growled softly at the laughter he left behind in the kitchen.

Quatre, still sitting upright in the bed, tilted his head when Trowa sat down beside him, facing him. "When they go to bed tonight, I'll let you soak in the tub." When the blond opened his mouth to protest, Trowa interrupted him. It was easy to see how irritated the archer was. It was almost endearing, so Quatre just closed his mouth while he gave Trowa his attention. "You'll feel better and I'll change the sheets." He put his spoon into the soup and scraped the bottom off on the lip of the bowl before blowing. "Here, open."

Quatre obeyed, leaning forward and opening his mouth as he kept eye contact with Trowa. He had so many questions and his curiosity was burning in his eyes, so while Trowa fed him slowly, he told him what had happened. When he mentioned the young braided man by name, Quatre had nearly choked on a spoonful of potatoes.

"Here, have some water," Trowa said as he set the bowl onto his desk and gathered up the glass he had set there for the blond earlier during the day. Quatre continued to cough, but when it died down to soft hitches, he looked at Trowa with wide, desperate eyes.

"Duo?"

"Yes… do you know that name?"

"He's… _here_?"

"Was he one of the ones that hurt you?"

Quatre shook his head slowly. "No, he's one of my dearest friends… how badly is he hurt?" _Duo's human… this can't be good. Oh my poor friend…_

"He'll be fine, his friend was injured far worse than he was," Trowa said, still giving Quatre an odd, sideways look. He felt something in himself that he didn't recognize. Something ugly and perhaps a little green when Quatre recognized the odd name of the braided stranger. The _handsome_ braided stranger, that ugly green thing reared up to whisper into Trowa's ear.

"I want to see him…"

"He's resting," Trowa shut him down immediately, and then offered him another spoonful of soup. Quatre shook his head and put his hand out, pushing the spoon away.

"You don't understand, I _need_ to see him. I may be the reason they're there." A horrible thought dawned on him and a look of horror crossed his face. "I may be the reason they're hurt… This is my fault," he surmised. "They must have been looking for me and then…"

"This isn't your fault," Trowa assured Quatre as he finally took a bite of his meal for himself. He debated on whether or not to inform his charge as to why they were running, but felt that since Quatre was blaming himself, perhaps this would put his mind at ease. "They were running from Baron Khushrenada's personal hunter, Zechs Merquise."

"Hunter?" Quatre asked in horror.

"Don't worry," Trowa said. "They were probably encroaching on what _he_ felt were his own personal hunting grounds. The guy has a big ego."

"Do you know what he hunts, Trowa?" Quatre asked with a voice that was dead calm. That was the name all of his kind feared. No one human had taken more of them than Zechs had. Baron Khushrenada boasted quite a collection of alicorns; his mother had been Trieze's last kill before he turned his personal hunter loose on them.

"Game," Trowa shrugged. "I assume the biggest and best he can find to gloat about…" he paused when Quatre slowly shook his head, his eyes holding Trowa's with fear.

" _No_ ," Quatre whispered. "He kills us."

"Us?" Trowa's brows furrowed in confusion. "He's a murderer?"

"Oh yes," Quatre breathed, his heart hammering hard in his chest. "He kills Unicorns."

" _Have you ever seen a Unicorn?_ " the question surfaced to his mind, reminding him of a dream he had had a few nights ago. It was during one of his nightmares that Quatre had suddenly appeared in. He had spoken to a child version of himself. " _Beautiful things shouldn't have to die,"_ his mind whispered. " _Only the beautiful things?_ " " _Beauty is in the eye of the beholder_."

"Yes," Quatre whispered through numb lips as he turned his frightened face back to Trowa. "That's what you told me that night."

"How…" Trowa narrowed his eyes, refusing to believe that his mind was read. Perhaps Quatre was just a conman, able to "read" a man's mind at a whit.

He shrugged one thin shoulder. "That's one of the few things we _can_ do. Don't… mind the legends."

"If what you are saying is true," Trowa shook his head, now fearing the boy was also mad and was just parroting things that he himself must have spoken aloud during sleep.

"You don't believe me…"

"I believe I murmur in my sleep…"

"You… make funny sounds, but you only speak when you're afraid," Quatre said.

"What funny noises?"

"Like you're roaring," Quatre lowered his head and gently plucked at the covers over his legs. _Great. I tell him the truth and he thinks I'm lying to him._

"I don't snore," Trowa said as his lips pulled into a thin line as if the audacity of such a thing should ever be implied.

"You think I'm lying."

"Yes."

When Quatre lifted his eyes to Trowa this time, the hurt was almost tangible. "Why would I lie to you?"

"I don't know," Trowa said softly and Quatre could see the doors of his heart slamming shut. His own heart broke at that and he had to fight the urge to reach out and beg the archer not to shut him out. To believe him; to trust him.

"What if I told you what I said in the dream?"

"What if I repeated what you said?" Trowa countered.

"Well, perhaps I can do something of your choosing the next time you dream? Tell me what you want me to do and I will, to prove to you that I am not lying."

Trowa shook his head. "The suggestion would already be in my mind, therefore, it is a possibility that I would dream it."

"Because you want to trust me."

"Because I want to believe that someone like you wouldn't lie to me."

"I don't lie, Trowa," Quatre said, his voice rising just a little. Trowa bristled, sensing an argument on the horizon.

"I don't judge you for it, Quatre, but you shouldn't try so hard to get my attention. If you know these people, perhaps they can take you home when Heero heals, back to your family."

When Trowa rose, carrying the empty bowl to the door, Quatre watched him with pain filled eyes. All of a sudden, the tall youth wanted nothing more, once again, than to be rid of his burden. For some reason, that hurt Quatre more than the arrow in the shoulder had. He pressed his fingers to his heart as pain blossomed like a fresh wound. "Trowa…" he groaned softly once he was alone.


	9. Chapter 9

Trowa slept on the floor that night.

Quatre lay awake, watching the shadows as they danced over the exposed beams of the ceiling cast by the light of the hearth. His heart was a heavy weight in his chest and guilt ate at his conscience, but he couldn't fathom why. By holding him at a cold sudden arm's length, Trowa was treating him like he had done something wrong, and the effect was so strong that for a long while, Quatre himself believed that he had indeed told Trowa some horrible lie. He balled his fists slowly at his sides, in the clean sheets that had been changed while he soaked in the warm tub. Somehow, he would have to prove to Trowa that he was telling the truth, but in a way that wouldn't expose him for what he truly was to eyes that didn't need to see.

First of all, he was too weak to shift forms in his current state. And even if he was able to, the injuries would be compounded in his equine body. Secondly, with Zechs on the hunt and so close by, he didn't dare risk doing anything foolish just for an 'I told you so'.

"Trowa?" he called softly. Silence answered him, along with the steady sound of his breathing. It wasn't fair that Trowa succumbed to his pride, causing him to lose comfort by sleeping on the cold, hard floor. Even if he was by the hearth, only one side would be warm at a time and for the first few hours, his rest had been anything but peaceful. He had kept Quatre awake as he shifted restlessly from one side to the other to get comfortable.

"This isn't right," Quatre whispered softly. He sat up with a grimace and pushed the covers off his legs before swinging them over the side of the bed. "Trowa," he said again, gently. When he received yet another answer of silence, a look of determination etched across his face. _Odd creatures these humans. If they aren't hunting us, they're ignoring us. I've got no choice but to follow him into his dreams, whether he likes it or not. Somehow I've got to talk some sense into him._

* * *

Trowa lifted his face as he watched the small blond approach him. Once again, he was at the tent, waiting for it to burst into flames. The nightmare was close; he could sense the dread looming over him.

"Trowa!" Quatre called in alarm as he cast his gaze about in confusion. "No _wonder_ I couldn't find you. What are you _doing_ here?"

"Waiting."

"Waiting for what?" He approached Trowa quickly, moving into the tall archer's personal space as he tipped his head back to study him. "Trowa… no," he said sadly. "This isn't where you need to be. Let me bring you back to your safe place."

"I don't… know where that is."

Gently, Quatre reached out and took Trowa's wrist. "You're upset, that's all," he murmured as he gave it a soft tug. People suddenly materialized around them, as if stepping out of a fog, and began to head towards the tents that were lined up for the show. Quatre tugged again, getting the stubborn human to start taking steps towards him as he backed away. He didn't want Trowa to see what was about to transpire.

"Quatre… what are you doing?"

"Helping you. Please, Trowa… you have to come with me."

"But Quatre… I have to be here," Trowa murmured in a trance-like voice. "I have to be… _here_?"

With a muffled whump, the main tent suddenly burst into flames, the fire licking greedily at the air around and above it. Screams erupted within.

"No," Quatre said gently. He released Trowa's wrist to take him gently by the hand. Without warning, thick smoke began to billow around them. The strangers that had suddenly appeared began to scream, though their faces remained placid and docile. Those closest to the tents began to smolder as their clothing began to grow hot enough to combust.

" _Troooowaaa_!" Catherine's voice called from the distance. Together, Quatre and Trowa turned to spot five-year-old Catherine standing outside of the burning circus tent as the stoic strangers in the dream continued to scream while still holding those serene expressions.

"I have to go to her," Trowa said as the little girls hair began to smolder.

"No, Trowa, you don't," Quatre said in a firm, yet gentle voice. He let go of Trowa's hand and gripped his elbow and forearm instead. "You don't have to put yourself back into this dark place anymore."

"But she's calling me," Trowa said, his voice still lost in the dreamlike trance. "This is safe…"

Quatre moved to put his body in Trowa's path once Catherine's hair caught on fire. Even engulfed in flames, she continued to wave, trying to get her brother to come to the inferno that was once the main tent.

"But…"

"Trowa… you can't do this to yourself every time something bad happens, whether it's real or perceived. I never lied to you. You know that."

Trowa blinked slowly, and then lowered his face. "I can't stand the screaming," he said calmly.

"I know," Quatre whispered. "Come… come with me, we'll leave this bad place."

"But…"

"Trowa," Quatre whispered and with his free hand, he reached up and gently caressed his cheek. "Trust me," he breathed.

Trowa nodded softly as Quatre began to pull him away from the raging fire that consumed the giant tent, and the people within it. Quatre fought to keep Trowa's eyes gazing into his, keeping him from seeing the horrors that walked past him; charred bodies, bloody and raw, that continued about their dream lives as if nothing had happened.

"That's right," Quatre breathed. "Just look at me."

Trowa nodded, his face soft and open; vulnerable.

"The safe place is near. Focus on me."

"I can smell them burning."

"Not for long," Quatre soothed. "Think of brighter things. Think of things that makes you happy."

"Everything that made me happy is burning in that tent," Trowa said as his voice began to rise. Emotion suddenly blossomed in his eyes, tears forming as he lifted his head and turned to look over his shoulder. Quatre leaned over, and then realized in horror that the badly burnt remains of five-year-old Catherine were following them. She couldn't speak anymore, there was hardly anything left, but she continued to beckon for her brother to come.

"Trowa…"

"Catherine…"

"Trowa…"

Trowa began to pull against Quatre's hands. "I have to go to her, she's calling me."

" _Trowa_!" Quatre barked as he suddenly sat back hard on his heels. He pulled Trowa off balance, startling the Ranger with the move. Trowa's wide eyes turned to him and Quatre let out a sigh.

"You have to trust me if you want me to get you out of this nightmare."

"It's so real…" Trowa whispered.

"I know it feels that way," Quatre said gently. "But you have to trust me; this isn't happening. You're safe, Cathy is safe… and you must trust me."

Trowa blinked and looked around. The fire, the cinder-crowd, his mutilated sister, were gone. Now he was standing by the brook, the sun's rays casting diamonds over the ripples on the surface.

"Sit," Quatre urged, pulling down on those long slender forearms. Trowa complied, taking a seat in the shade beneath a large willow tree. "There, much better, yes?" Quatre asked as he sat down cross legged in front of his friend.

Trowa nodded once and then gazed around himself. "I remember this place."

"From the last time. When we played. You almost caught me." A light smile pulled up Quatre's lips and it grew when Trowa looked at him with a glint of mischief in his own.

"I let you win."

Quatre laughed. "Sure you did!"

"It's true. I was just demonstrating good sportsmanship by letting you win."

Quatre smirked at that. "Well, perhaps we should have a rematch?"

"And what are the spoils of this competition?"

Quatre tilted his head, giving Trowa an odd look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, _if_ you win, what would you like?"

"Oh…" Quatre said softly, taken aback. "Well," he decided. "I would like for you not to kick me if I win." He nodded firmly. Hilde always gave him a good hard kick whenever he beat her at a race. So did Duo.

It was Trowa's turn to tilt his head at the odd answer. "That's right, you're a unicorn. You don't understand the concepts of prizes, do you?"

Quatre shook his head firmly. "No. Odd things, you humans."

Trowa smiled faintly.

"And what about you? What do you want _if_ you win?"

"A kiss," Trowa said as he rose quickly. Quatre rose with him, the look of confusion growing quickly on his face. "What's that?"

"You don't know what a kiss is?" Trowa asked, though he made an effort to keep the surprise out of his voice.

Quatre shook his head. "No, what are they? Can you pet them? Do you grow them, or… do you eat them?" he wrinkled his nose and then frowned as Trowa erupted into pleasant laughter. "What?"

Trowa quickly composed himself until he was merely chuckling. "No," he said as he worked to ease his smile down. "A kiss is something you do to someone to show affection, or kindness, or to soothe them." He paused. "How does your kind show affection?"

"Well… it's kind of awkward to do it in this form," Quatre said. "But I'll try to show you." He walked up to Trowa until they were chest to chest, and leaning up slightly, he rested his cheek against the strong shoulder, as if he were crossing necks with another equine. Enjoying the moment, Quatre closed his eyes. "This is how we show affection," he whispered.

"This is nice," Trowa whispered. "Almost like a hug."

"What's a hug?"

"This, but we wrap our arms around each other."

Quatre opened his eye for a moment, and then closed it as Trowa leaned his head gently against his. "Isn't that awfully inconvenient? What if you had to get away from something dangerous, but weren't able to because you were holding onto someone else?" A soft gasp escaped him as Trowa's arms slowly wound around his body. "But… this _is_ nice…" he breathed.

"That's because it's meant to make you feel safe," Trowa murmured into the pale hair.

"I _do_ feel safe," Quatre breathed. He took a chance and lifted his arms, finding that they wound beautifully around Trowa's shoulders.

"That's a little tight, Quatre," Trowa grunted in good nature. "There we go, much better. Just hold gently."

"I feel like I want to squeeze, and I don't know why."

"That's natural, but you're stronger than you look."

Quatre smiled at that. "Okay, so, if I win, you don't kick me, and if you win, you get a kiss, yes?"

Trowa leaned back. "I'll even give you a head start," he said with a teasing, boyish smile.

"You're on," Quatre answered with a grin, and then slipped fluidly from his arms. With the grace of a deer, he bolted away. Trowa laughed softly as the linen tunic caught in the breeze and flipped upwards, exposing the very cute, and very naked backside as the blond nimby leapt over the brook.

Trowa counted to three, and then broke into a run, his long legs carrying him effortlessly over the brook and through the tall sweet smelling grass. Quatre's laughter floated back to him, full of a pleasant joy that caused Trowa's heart to swell and ache. He tossed his head back as he jogged to a halt, his own laughter echoing about him.

"Have you given up?" Quatre challenged from across the meadow.

"Never!"

"Then come get me!"

With a determined gleam in his eye, Trowa charged once more. Quatre waited, his grin growing larger the closer Trowa approached, and when he was within arm's length, he darted to the side, barely escaping the questing fingers. He laughed again as he bolted away, but slid to a halt as Trowa let out a groan of pain. Turning slowly, the small blond's eyes grew wide as he watched Trowa slump to the ground and roll over onto his back, holding his side.

"Trowa?"

Trowa groaned again and Quatre let out a little gasp as he broke into a run. He slid to a halt and threw himself down, his hands on the broad chest. "Trowa! Trowa are you hurt? What happened?" It took a split second to realize that he'd been had as a tiny smile pulled up the bow shaped lips and large hands grabbed him.

"Got you. I win."

"Trowa!" Quatre fussed, and then laughed as the archer sat up, still holding on to Quatre's upper arms. "You cheated!"

"All is fair in love and war," Trowa retorted, and then blanched when he realized what he had said. "I mean…"

"No, you're right," Quatre said gently. "So… what _is_ a kiss, exactly? I've been dying to know since you told me about them. I mean, well, you told me what it was, for love or comfort or to soothe, but… are they different?"

"Yes," Trowa said. "For example, this is a kiss meant to soothe. Families and friends can do this." He leaned forward after brushing the pale bangs back from Quatre's forehead, where he planted a tender kiss. Quatre gasped softly, his fingers reaching up to brush the spot.

"That was nice," Quatre whispered.

"To comfort, it's close to the same thing as soothing," Trowa explained as he leaned forward. He pressed his lips gently against Quatre's left cheek. "Again, anyone can do this."

"And love?"

"It's… different. It's mean to be shared only between lovers."

Quatre tilted his head. "But you can still show me, right?"

"If you'd like."

"Yes. To… _satisfy_ my curiosity."

Trowa nodded with a determined look in his eye. Resting his hands on Quatre's shoulders, he leaned forward and whispered. "Close your eyes and tilt your head slightly to the right."

A nod of the head preceded the slight tilt and Trowa took a deep breath before leaning in closer. He slid his lips slowly against Quatre's and when Quatre hitched in a surprised breath, he parted his lips just far enough so that his and Trowa's fit together like a puzzle piece. Heat shot through the blond's body. _You make me feel hot, yet I tremble…_

Trowa closed his eyes and worked his lips slowly to Quatre's, his hands sliding from the slender shoulders down his biceps, where he held the arms just above the elbow. When he broke the kiss and moved to pull away, his heart hammered in his chest as he realized that Quatre was following him with no intention of losing that wonderful contact. Trowa moaned and pushed forward slowly, easing Quatre onto his back, never minding how the tall grass tickled them as he dominated the small blond. Quatre's hands were busy, sliding up and down Trowa's back as he moaned in return, passion igniting his body until his mind clouded over with inexpressible emotions.

It took all of his willpower to push Trowa back, and as they gazed at each other, panting heavily, Quatre reached up to caress Trowa's face. "Don't sleep on the floor. Your bed is warmer and more comfortable, okay?"

Trowa nodded softly, staring at Quatre in wonder.

"You hurt my feelings," Quatre whispered.

"I'm sorry," Trowa murmured.

"I forgive you," Quatre leaned up and pressed his chest tightly to Trowa's, his head resting on his shoulder as he gave Trowa his people's version of a hug. "You need your rest," he said. "I'll be back tomorrow night, but you should really consider being kinder to me. I didn't lie to you. I _promise_ you that."

After a long beat of silence, Trowa's arms slowly wound around Quatre's waist and he snuggled into him. "Okay," he murmured against the blond hair. "I'll _try_."

"That's all I ask," Quatre whispered as he slowly ran his palm along the back of Trowa's head, enjoying how soft the short hair felt to him. And then, he gently delivered Trowa to another dream, where he wasn't needed, and slipped back into the waking world.

* * *

 _I forgot how much I hurt while I'm awake,_ he sighed to himself. _And I need to learn to walk for real_. "I guess there's no time like the present, but…" Tilting his head, he closed his eyes and concentrated, reaching out in a mind-link.

* * *

Trowa had been right. The barn was warm, dry and clean. The straw beneath them was heaven and it smelled like summer time. The animals only used one side, the one facing the field, as there was only a cow, a handful of goats and some sheep. They didn't acquire hogs until late spring, where Trowa usually slaughtered them in the fall for winter supplies, and the chickens enjoyed a large coop close to the house. The west side of the barn, across the aisle, was empty and perfect for Duo and his Keeper. It was definitely better than being out in the open, exposed to the elements.

::Duo?::

Duo grumbled softly, swatting the air around him for a moment before snuggling in closer to Heero's prone form. Cathy had been in less than an hour ago to check her new charge and help him make water. Then, she checked Duo's hands, fussing over him before giving him some sweet bread and a few kind words before going back inside. Duo liked her immediately. For a human, she was rather sweet.

::Duo… can you hear me?::

Duo's head shot up, his eyes growing wide in shock. ::Quatre!?::

::DUO!::

::Quatre! Where are you!? I can hear you! I can _hear_ you! You're alive!::

Quatre's relieved laughter filled the mind link as Duo scrambled to his feet. He turned his head side to side as he tried in vain to visually spot his friend. ::Where are you?::

::I'm in the house, but… wait a bit, I'll try to come out to see you.::

::Wait… Quatre, are you injured? Sally said that they had someone in there that was hurt…::

::Yeah, I'll tell you more about it when I find you. You're in the barn, aren't you?::

::Yeah, I am,:: Duo sighed as he sank back down on the straw. ::Are you going to be long?::

::I'll try not to be, just… wait for me, okay?::

::Will do, buddy.:: Duo turned his face to gaze down at Heero. ::Oh, don't laugh, but… I got a Keeper.::

::Oh Duo… that's wonderful! Now I won't have to worry so much about you!::

::That's not fair, you don't have one yet! I get stuck with one that keeps trying to _die_ on me!::

::Die on you? What do you mean?::

Duo sighed as he reached out to brush a wayward lock of hair from Heero's brow. ::I'll tell you when you get here.::

::Good. Just… let me learn how to walk upright and I'll be there as soon as I can. I don't know where the barn is, but I hear Trowa going to and from it many times, and it never seems to take him long.::

::You mean you haven't learned to walk yet?::

::No, I've been in Trowa's nest while they've tended my wounds. I'm going to try now.::

::The only piece of advice that I got for ya is to lock your knees.::

::Will do.::

Quatre looked over at Trowa's slumbering form, feeling a warmth and peace radiating from his heart. He couldn't help the smile that came to his face at the memory of that kiss. Though he had reached out to Trowa in a dream, in the dream he was still Trowa, and not some figment self of the archer's imagination.

"Okay, I can do this," Quatre whispered. Running around in the dream had bolstered his confidence, so the real thing couldn't be that hard, could it? He closed his eyes tight and braced himself, rising up on his two feet. His injuries protested, but with the rest and wonderful care he had been receiving, he was able to manage to his feet. He put his hand on the mattress for support while his left arm flailed in the air to help him with his balance.

::Okay, Duo… what did you mean about locking your knees?::

::Just that. Heero said if you feel like you're going to fall, lock your knees. Of course, I already knew how to walk, I was just driving him stark raving mad. I did kind of mess up and fall on him though, and I hurt his knee again, but in my defense, I was _pretending_ that I couldn't walk.::

::Again?::

::Ye…eah, I uh… well, it was _his_ fault! He jumped on my back and rode me!::

Quatre stopped flailing his arm to clap his hand over his mouth to stop the sudden burst of laughter from erupting.

::He _rode_ you!?::

::He rode me long and hard! I didn't think I was ever going to unseat him! By the time he was finished with me, I was dripping sweat and panting like a human in heat!::

::No! No more! I'll wake the house laughing if you keep talking!::

::Well, hurry up and come laugh with me. Maybe that will wake up Heero.::

Their mood sombered quickly as Quatre took his first few steps around the bed. Much like the dream, it was rather simple, he just had to concentrate on putting one bare human foot in front of the other. He had a bit of a struggle when he turned the corner to sneak around the foot of the bed. His balance, already compromised, caused him to stumble, and he fell gracefully into a squatting position in front of the trunk that held Trowa's clothing. Using it for balance, Quatre rose again, turning his head over his shoulder and gazing at the sleeping form. Trowa didn't stir, and Quatre knew that had he awoke, he would have told him no and would put him back into bed.

::Alright… on my way. I think.::

::Just be careful.::

::I will.::

The deerskin flap was easy, he just slipped through it as he stepped into the kitchen. He remembered the room from the first night he was brought in. It had smelled so nice of baking bread. It was also the room where they tended his wounds and cauterized his shoulder. He wrinkled his nose at that memory as he headed towards the chamber entrance to the human den.

::Hm…::

::What is it?::

::I found the chamber entrance, but… it's odd. I don't know what to do.::

::Oh… well, sorry pal, I'm not a human so I don't have the foggiest idea of how to open a door.::

::Wait… I do,:: Quatre whispered into the mind link as he turned his head over his shoulder and peered at the deerskin flap. Closing his eyes, he concentrated and searched out to see if Trowa were still dreaming. He was.

"Hello, friend Trowa!" he greeted sweetly.

"Quatre," Trowa greeted him in return.

"I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

"What do you need?"

As Quatre approached Trowa in the dream, a replica of their front door appeared. "Could you show me how to open this?"

Trowa tilted his head. "It's easy, Quatre, you just lift this latch…" He lifted the wooden latch, pulling it up and then gripped the peg to pull the door open.

"Thank you, Trowa!" Quatre beamed and threw his arms around his friend, using his new knowledge of 'hugging' to show his gratitude.

"You're welcome," Trowa said with a tender smile.

Quatre slipped out of the dream and gripped the latch, pulling it up and around. He took a moment to peek at Cathy, who was in the chair where she sewed and mended clothing, bundled in blankets. She was sound asleep, so Quatre was safe to escape. He pulled the door open just enough to slip his slender frame through and carefully shut it behind him. Snow covered his bare feet and reached up to his shins. Wearing nothing but the borrowed linen tunic, he trembled at the cold.

::I'm out!::

Duo cheered within the mind link and moved to the barn door. It, too, was latched. ::Now… how do you open the door?::

::You should be able to reach out and take a piece of wood, it will lift up and you just push the door.:: Through the mind like, he gave Duo a mental image of the latch.

::Lift up and push the door,:: Duo muttered. ::Ah… Ah ha! Yes! This is fascinating!::

Quatre chuckled as he looked around the yard. ::What does the barn look like?:: he asked as he caught a glimpse of a door opening. ::Hang on… there's a human…::

::Another one?::

::Yeah…:: Quatre took a step back, putting his side against the stone wall of the house as he watched the door warily.

::I see one, too:: Duo said as he peered out. He ducked back in.

::Are we safe?::

::I don't know.::

Quatre leaned forward, openly staring at the braided young man who was peeking at him through the door. ::I don't know if this human is dangerous or not, he's hiding. I can just barely see his face.::

::Yeah, the one I'm looking at is kind of hiding, but it's staring at me, too. I hope it doesn't want to fight, because I'd hate to ruin a budding friendship with Cathy by attacking her friend.::

::I agree.::

::Man, he must not be too bright, it's cold out there and its hardly got any clothing on at all,:: Duo marveled as he pushed the door open a bit further. ::If you ask me, that's just stupid.::

Quatre frowned and gazed down at his bare legs. ::Wait a minute… I… am barely dressed… _did you just call me stupid_?::

Duo pushed the door open and stepped outside into the snow, his face an open mask of wonder and shock, before he lost his attention span and looked down at the heavy snow he was standing in. He began to take large awkward steps towards Quatre, lifting his legs up high, and then shaking his foot at each step in an attempt to avoid getting more snow on him than he could avoid. "Is that you, Quatre?"

"Duo…" Quatre breathed softly as he began to walk through the snow much in the same way as his friend.

"Wow… look at you," he said with a chuckle as they met each other in the middle of the yard. Emotion flooded their eyes and they threw themselves at each other, pressing their left shoulders together, their cheeks against each other's necks.

"Oh Duo," Quatre breathed with relief and sorrow. "What has become of our people?"

"Wufei gave the order, we must all be human," Duo frowned as he spoke. "I guess since the Hunters are causing us so much grief, it was the only way we can survive." With sorrow in his eyes, he reached out and touched the short curly locks at the back of Quatre's head.

Quatre nodded gently against Duo's shoulder, and then pulled back. "I am freezing," he said through chattering teeth. "Hooves are so much more adept at this type of weather…"

"Come on in the barn, I want you to see Heero." Duo turned and walked through the trail he had made when he went to greet Quatre, the small blond following in his wake.

"Did Wufei assign him to you?" Quatre asked as he shivered. He wrapped his arms around his body as Duo held the barn door open for him. "Wow, this is the barn, this is nice," he said. "It smells like summer in here."

"Yeah," Duo said as he pulled the door shut. He gestured to the first stall on the right. It was roomy and filled with fresh straw, and on a blanket, as well as bundled within more, lie Heero.

"He's badly hurt," Quatre murmured. "What happened."

"Sit down, rest your body. I'll tell you my tale and then you can tell me yours."

Nodding, Quatre slipped into the stall and sat down at Heero's left hip. Duo took his seat at Heero's right, and then began to tell the blond everything that had happened since he had disappeared.

* * *

The bed was empty. Trowa frowned heavily as he rose, his eyes sweeping the disheveled covers. "Quatre?" Opening the chest at the foot of his bed, he changed into a fresh pair of leggings and stepped into them, tying them carelessly at the waist as he moved through the door flap and into the kitchen. Cathy was snuggled into her blankets, and silence only answered him from the two women resting upstairs.

"Quatre?" he called again softly. Panic flared in his heart. What if the women weren't there anymore? What if they had stolen the blond away in the middle of the night to do who knows what to him? He whispered past his sister and slowly climbed the staircase. His bare feet were like shadows as he stalked to Cathy's room. "Quatre?" he tried again, softly. Again, no answer. The silence was wrong, it was almost too loud. Loud enough for him to hear the beating of his own heart.

Cautiously, he reached out, opening the door to his sister's room and pushing it open. A dusky gloom was all his eyes could see before they adjusted to the dark. He didn't enjoy the relief that overcame him when he looked upon the two slumbering figures in the bed. Closing the door behind him, he crept quietly back down the stairs and once again went back into his room. He stooped over, peering under the bed, but there was nothing out of place save for a few wayward dust bunnies. Rising up quickly, he pushed his fingers through his long bangs, holding them back off of his face before exhaling an explosive sigh. There was only one other explanation; he went outside.

Panic had him moving quickly to the door and there, he realized that the wooden latch was thrown. He snatched the door open and went outside into the freezing cold, grimacing as an early spring wind, full of winter's hold, gusted into his face. "Quatre?" he called. A trail at the door, the wind having corroded most of it, led away from the house. The foot prints were too large to be Cathy's. Trowa followed it quickly and felt another surge of relief when he realized that it went to the barn. The door was ajar, another good sign. He pulled it open quickly and peered in, his heart skipping a beat when he spied the young blond sitting next to the injured young man. However, something appeared off at how he and the braided youth seemed to be staring intently at each other. Unaware that they were conversing in a mind link, Trowa mistook it as something else. Jealousy reared up again and Trowa walked into the stall, a heavy look of displeasure on his face.

"Do you know how long I've been looking for you, Quatre?" he asked, his tone clipped.

"Trowa…" Quatre shook his head and together, he and Duo lifted their faces up to the tall archer. "This is my dearest friend, Duo! He found me!"

This time ice gripped Trowa's heart. These people knew Quatre and could take him away. Slowly, he pushed away the feelings of despair and walked to the blond. He leaned down and before Quatre could complain, lifted him into his arms.

"You have no shoes _or_ leggings on!" Trowa scolded. "You'll catch your death of cold, do you want to worry Cathy?"

"No…" Quatre said as he shook his head gently.

"I'll see you later, Quatre," Duo said as he lifted his hand and gave him a small wave, something he learned from the girls. Quatre returned the gesture and then sighed as Trowa paused at the barn door.

"If you get cold, or hungry, you're welcome to come into the house."

"Thank you," Duo said softly, and then watched as Trowa wordlessly carried his friend back into the human den.

"You could have worried Cathy," Trowa frowned deeply as he walked through the snow.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to see my friend."

"Did he bring you out here?"

"I…" Quatre sighed and closed his eyes as they entered the house. "I wanted to go outside, and he was there. I was so happy to see him that I just wasn't thinking."

"You weren't thinking to begin with to go outside dressed in your night clothes," Trowa scolded as he shut the door behind him with his hip. Cathy startled herself awake and then looked at them with open surprise.

"He went outside," Trowa explained.

"In nothing more than that?" Cathy gasped. "Quatre, you could have frozen to death!"

Quatre lowered his head humbly.

"I'm going to put him in a warm bath," Trowa said.

" _Another_ one!?" Quatre complained, but there was really nothing he could do about it. Trowa carried him to the small room and had him stand so he could peel the cold tunic off of him. Then, he pulled the chains, getting the water to run into the tub.

"Your hands and feet are red, that means you got far too cold out there," Trowa muttered as he got out the soap and a soft towel. When the tub was halfway full, he helped the blond in, and then waited until he settled into the water before lighting one of the lamps to give him more light than what was bleeding through the window.

"I'm going to put some meat on, Sally and Noin said they want to go hunt their horses down when they got up, and I want to make sure they do it with a full stomach," Cathy said gently through the door.

"That's good," Trowa answered. He then turned a stern look to Quatre, who only looked back at him defiantly. "The next time you want to go out, you let me know."

"I can take care of myself, Trowa,"

"You're far too weak to be out there alone in this type of weather," Trowa interrupted Quatre brusquely. Quatre let out a harsh sigh and sank down further into the water.

 _I wish you were kissing me instead of complaining that I went outside. You sure are grouchy first thing in the morning. That's what you get for being a brat and sleeping on the floor._ "What are you doing?"

Trowa got settled after sitting down on the floor, his back resting against the door. "Making sure that you warm up properly. Then, I'll take you outside to use the outhouse and then it's back to bed for you."

"Wouldn't it have made more sense to let me use the outhouse before I got wet?" Quatre questioned innocently.

Trowa's full lips pulled into a thin line. "You distracted me," he said as he folded his arms over his chest and turned his face away defiantly.

Quatre fought the little tug of a smile that threatened to blossom across his face.


	10. Chapter 10

"Are you sure that I can't send anything else with you?" Cathy asked as Sally and Noin gathered at the door to leave.

"No, you've been most generous. We'll be back within a week if we're able. I'm almost positive the horses went home; they've gone down this route so many times, they know their way. If you don't see us in two weeks… worry," she chuckled.

"We'll come out looking for you if it takes that long," Cathy said. "And don't worry about Duo and Heero; we'll take good care of them! I promise!"

"Thank you so much for everything," Sally said as she pulled her cowl up. "I think winter is going to let go soon, just you watch, it'll be warm before you know it!"

The goodbyes were said for a few moments longer, and Quatre, sitting up with his back against the headboard, simply sighed. He was bored, he was restless and he wanted nothing more than to either sit with Duo and talk with him face to face, or to kiss Trowa. Truth be told, as much as he loved his best friend, he would rather be kissing Trowa.

When the door to the den was shut, Quatre immediately turned his eyes to the flap, anticipating the very man he was longing for to enter. He did.

"Why didn't you let me meet the new people?"

"They're none of your concern," Trowa said as he sat down at his desk and pulled out his leather bound ledger. He opened it and turned to the last page he had written.

"Well, I don't see where that's for you to decide," Quatre reasoned. "And what are you doing?"

"I'm writing."

"What is writing?"

Trowa made a soft sound deep in his throat. It was common for people to be illiterate, but to not know what writing was? He shook his head at that and lifted a quill out of a small jar before pulling his ink to him. "I'm getting low," he murmured to himself.

"What is writing?" Quatre asked again, gently.

"Putting thought into written word."

"Could you teach me?"

Trowa paused the quill tip before it could reach the ink. "I don't see why not. Once you've healed."

"I'm feeling better now, though," Quatre complained gently.

"Not now," Trowa said firmly.

"What do you write about?"

"My life, the interesting things that happen day by day. My dreams. Thoughts that I don't want to forget."

 _Speaking of dreams…_ Quatre folded his hands onto his lap as he studied Trowa for a long moment. "Kiss me again."

Trowa's shoulders rose, and then stiffened as he turned his stricken face to Quatre. "I beg your pardon?"

"I want you to kiss me again."

"I spoke that aloud?"

"No," Quatre said as he shook his head gently. "You were having a bad dream when I found you; I took you back to the safe place. We had fun; we raced, and I said if I won, you shouldn't kick me. You said if you won, then you'd get a kiss. I didn't understand what they were at first, but you showed me. The ones for soothing and comfort were nice," in turn, he touched his forehead and cheek. "But I liked the one for love much better."

"It can't be true," Trowa whispered, the quill falling from his numb fingers. "It _can't_ be…"

"You believed me in your dream."

"How… I don't _understand_."

"You also showed me how to unlatch the door," Quatre said with a sheepish grin. "I misled you there, and for that, I _am_ sorry, but I've never worked a door before, I didn't know what to do! I had to have help…"

Trowa turned his upper body in the chair and gazed at Quatre for a long time, a flurry of emotions crossing his face. "Your friend… said the wagon tripped and fell, he didn't say he had a wreck, he said it… tripped… and fell," Trowa's voice went into a soft and contemplative tone as his mind worked overtime, clicking things into place.

"We don't have words for wreck in our language."

"What _are_ you?"

"I told you what I am, Trowa. He is the same. The one lying injured is what is called a Keeper. Though, like us, they can be killed, otherwise, they are as immortal as we are. They protect us and keep us safe from Hunters. Safe from ourselves sometimes," he murmured a chuckle at that. "I'm glad Duo finally got one, he's so reckless, but, like I told him, it's nice not to have to worry so much about him now." He rubbed his chin in thought. "However… I think I should start worrying about Heero from this point on."

Trowa simply shook his head slowly as he worked to process the information. Finally, he was able to form a coherent thought. "It was _you_ in my dreams, _you_ -you…"

"Yes. Don't mind the legends about us. We can't bring people back from the dead, we can't grant wishes, and you can't spin our manes and tails into gold." He reached back and brushed his fingers through the shorn locks on the back of his head. "We can purify water, we can speak to nature, and we can go into dreams. We can switch forms. In fact, our Keeper's King, Wufei, has decreed that we all should be in human form right now, because of Baron Khushrenada's personal hunter. The Baron killed my mother when I was a newborn; I… heard she was his last kill. This isn't the first time the decree to be human has gone out, but the last one was nearly a thousand years ago. We do what we must to be safe."

Trowa rubbed his face slowly. "Those men who captured you?"

"I was with my sister and her daughter, in a clearing one night," Quatre said. "They found us. I had received a kick from my cousin, and was lame." He lifted his right foot and pointed at the fading bruise on his heel. "I told them to run while I led the bad men away. I had to kill one of their hounds, it was chasing me and nipping at me and I had been shot in the shoulder and they were chasing me on horseback and I was so confused and angry and afraid," he began to speak quickly, his breathing growing rapid at the traumatic memory just two and a half weeks prior. He lifted his face to Trowa, tears welling in his eyes. "I didn't understand _why_ … why would they hunt us to kill us, our alicorns are useless when we are dead!" He made a searching gesture in front of him by lifting his palms up, fingers curled inward, and circling his hands. "They're barely useful while we're _alive_!"

A twin trail of tears fell when Quatre blinked. "And then, I remember advice Wufei had given me, that if I was ever in a situation where my life was in danger, to turn into something that men hated; themselves. I did and they hurt me so badly." Now his voice had dropped to a hoarse whisper. "They were so cruel… and my heart was broken." He pressed his hands to his chest as he lowered his head, a sob coming from him. He felt the bed dip when Trowa sat next to him. Seconds later, he was enveloped in a warm embrace and he began to weep, over and over repeating why, why, _why_?

"Ssshh," Trowa murmured as he gathered Quatre into his lap, holding him close as the blond began to weep into his shoulder. He pressed his palm onto the back of Quatre's head and began to rock him slowly. "You're safe now."

"But they almost got Duo," Quatre moaned through his sorrow. He sniffled once and then succumbed again to the sorrow in his heart. "And that was _all_ my fault because they were looking for me! I'm the reason they're hurt!"

"Duo is safe, too. So is Heero," Trowa whispered over the weeping as he cradled Quatre to him. "You're safe here."

Quatre rubbed first one cheek and then the other against Trowa's shoulder, trying to dry his tears before leaning his head back to look him in the eye.

"Safe," Trowa said again, more firmly this time as he brushed Quatre's bangs back from his face. "If the Hunter's want you, they'll have to kill me first. And that is highly frowned upon in this region. They adhere to the rules, besides, as long as you stay human, you'll be safe anyway, right?"

Quatre sniffled and nodded, his eyes still locked onto Trowa's. "Right," he answered, his hoarse voice hitching.

Trowa gave him a tiny smile, and then put pressure on the hand still pressed against the back of Quatre's head, urging him to rest his cheek against his shoulder once more. Quatre obliged willingly, and the tears returned. He clung to Trowa like a burr as the archer rocked him, listening to him as Trowa softly sang a song his mother had sung to him as a child.

Cathy washed the breakfast dishes, trying to be as quiet as she could so as to not disturb the bonding in Trowa's room, however, she had to pause from time to time to wipe away her own tears. "Damn those men and those hunters," she whispered.

* * *

By the time the sun set, the snow was almost gone, leaving in its wake new grass that poked up sluggishly through the muddy ground.

"Eeegh," Duo grumbled as he walked from the barn towards the human den, grousing at the sticky sensation of the mud as it clung to the bottoms of his boots. Trowa had told him that if he wanted or needed anything, to just come in, so he did.

"Why hello!" Cathy greeted him cheerfully as he stepped inside, causing him to startle in place. "Why don't you go ahead and take those muddy boots off, okay? I was just getting ready to come out and check on Heero and feed him his supper. Has he woken up yet?" She took a breath as she bustled about. "I'm glad you decided to come in, you can eat at the table like a proper gentlemen instead of in the barn like an old cow." She let out a chuckle as she added a few things to her medicine basket. "By the way, would you like some mead? I made a fresh batch and I think it came out rather good. I'll go ahead and fix you a big mug of it, it'll warm you up, I know it's still chilly outside and you should be somewhere warm, where there's a fire."

"You talk as much as _I_ do, lady," Duo said in awe as he watched her with his large, expressive eyes. He was rewarded with kind laughter as she filled up a bowl with broth, and then hooked her arm into the basket.

"That's good, then we'll never run out of things to talk about! Though it might drive Trowa crazy, he's not one for a whole lot of talk. I think Quatre's up, if you want to go visit him, he's right through that flap. Trowa! Duo's here to see Quatre! Don't throw anything at him when he comes into your room! Your mead is on the table if you'd like it, Duo!"

"Alright, Cathy," Trowa's voice floated through the flap. Duo stepped out of the way, pushing the door open for her so she could step out, and then sat down on the floor to remove his muddy boots and to recover from the barrage of words that had been tossed at him so quickly.

Quatre turned his head to study Trowa's quiet form. "You don't mind that Duo comes into your den?"

Trowa was quiet for a long moment. Did he mind? Yes, he did, but not only because the braided youth was invading his personal space. He bristled slightly, feeling off put by the knowledge that Quatre had been friends with the handsome young man for a long while now. But, even though they had been friends for quite a while, that's all they were… Surely. Trowa lifted his head and cut his eyes to Quatre. "I don't mind," he finally answered softly. "It's good for you to have more… lively companionship."

"Thank you, Trowa," Quatre said. His voice was strained from the long bought of weeping, and now, exhaustion seemed to be emanating from him in waves.

"But maybe he shouldn't be in here too long. You've had a rough day, you need your rest."

"I'll be fine, Trowa," Quatre answered, his voice still soft and gentle. Moments later, a hand appeared at the side of the flap before pulling it aside. Replacing it was Duo's curious face as he peeked into the room.

"Hi Duo," Quatre smiled. His eyes slowly took in the new human face of his dearest friend. _How odd to see him like this. He used to be so beautiful. I guess… by human standards, he still must be._

"You look _bad_ ," Duo said in all his tactful glory. It caused Quatre to grin softly.

"I _feel_ bad," he answered honestly as his friend came to the side of the bed. He turned his head, and realized that Duo and Trowa were having their own silent communication. Duo wanted in Trowa's nest, Trowa, however, didn't seem too sure that he wanted Duo in it. He let out a sigh and let them battle it out while he closed his eyes to rest them.

"His wounds have been unnecessarily aggravated," Trowa stated mechanically. "He shouldn't have been up and walking. I think it's best to let him rest, but if you must stay… try not to wear him out too much."

"I won't," Duo said softly. He lowered his eyes from Trowa's, gazed at the bed, and then lifted them back up in a silent request. After a long moment to ponder it over, Trowa gave a minute nod.

Duo climbed cautiously onto the bed, not sure how to react as the mattress dipped beneath his body weight. He put one arm out to steady himself as he made his way over to sit next to Quatre.

"Tell me…" Cerulean eyes lifted up to meet amethyst curiously. Duo tilted his head with an expectant expression and Quatre let out a soft breath. "What do I look like?"

Duo's head tilted to the other side as he studied the still bruised face. "Beat up?" he answered honestly.

"Other than that."

"Human?"

Quatre sighed, but his eyes twinkled.

"Would you like a mirror?" Trowa interjected. Both heads turned to face him.

"What's a mirror?" Duo asked as he got himself comfortable next to his friend.

"A looking glass," Trowa said as he rose. "It lets you see your reflection."

"Human magic," Duo whispered to Quatre as he watched the aforementioned human open a drawer in a dresser on the far side of the room.

"Hardly," Trowa answered as he pulled out a hand mirror and approached the bed. He lifted it up, and then quickly spun it by its handle, abruptly introducing the two unicorns to their human reflection for the first time. They didn't take it well. Letting out twin gasps of surprise, Duo was the first to react as he moved away from Quatre and hopped nimbly from the bed. Crouching down, he eased towards Trowa with a heavy air of mistrust.

"You've got people trapped in that looking glass!" Duo accused as he eased closer to the archer. Trowa held his ground; stoically watching the braided youth slink up to him. "And I'm going to let them out!" He cut his sharp gaze over to Quatre. "I told you! Human magic!"

"And I told _you_ , this allows you to see your reflection," Trowa stated. "I assure you; there is no magic involved."

Duo craned his neck as he eased forward still, his hand coming out slowly, fingers trembling. Curiosity would surely get him killed one day. Quatre watched in fear as Duo's fingertips brushed the round edge of the mirror, only to be snatched away by their cautious owner. "You're not going to suck me up into this thing, are you?"

"No, Duo, I will not," Trowa said, his voice a little tight. "Come stand beside me, I will show you."

Duo looked over to Quatre, who only nodded once.

"Alright, but if anything happens…"

"Nothing will happen to you," Trowa replied, his tone nearly acerbic.

Straightening his back, Duo rose to his full height and moved to stand next to the tall human. When they were side by side, Trowa lifted the mirror once more and to his shock, Duo realized that he could see the archer within, along with a strange human with large amethyst eyes, a sharp straight nose and full lips that were parted in surprise. He reached up and touched his face, intrigued when the hand in the reflection did the same. He touched his cheeks, chin and lips, feeling the sensations as he watched in the mirror. He brushed his shaggy bangs back from his eyes, and then leaned forward. "This is me?" he asked softly.

"The one and _hopefully_ only," Trowa answered back.

Duo cut his eyes up to him and gave a smirk. "You sound like Heero."

"Hmm…"

"Now you _really_ sound like Heero…"

"I want to see myself…" Quatre said. "Please?"

"Alright," Trowa agreed. Moving away from Duo, he walked to the side of the bed and sat down, holding the reflective surface to his chest as he gazed into those curious eyes. "You've got bruising on your face; please know that it will heal in time."

"He's a big boy," Duo said as he crawled onto the foot of the bed. "He'll live." He groaned as he got comfortable. Never before had he rested on something so soft, yet so firm. _Odd creatures, these humans_ , he thought to himself.

"Alright," Trowa agreed. He pulled the mirror from his chest and turned it slowly to give Quatre time to brace himself. Quatre grew still as he was greeted with the injured face in the reflection. Like Duo, he lifted his hand and began to touch his features while his doppelganger did the same. Trembling fingers trailed the outlines of the bruises before touching his jaw. He lifted his head and explored his chin, his lips and his nose. He twined his bangs through his fingers as he studied his cheekbones, and then leaned closer to get a good look at his eyes.

"For a human… what do I… how do I appear?"

Trowa was quiet for a long time before answering. "You're beautiful."

Quatre was caught off guard by his reflected smile.

* * *

"How are they?" Cathy asked. The Midnight hour was fast approaching and yet Trowa was still awake. He was sitting in his chair by the fireplace in the kitchen, a blanket over his lap, his eyes heavy.

"They've entertained themselves with the hand mirror for most of the day. Studying themselves, but I believe they've spent the better part of the time making faces into it."

Cathy laughed pleasantly as she gathered up fresh dressings into her medicine basket. "Everything is so new to them… I wonder what that feels like?" she asked. "To be so innocent to such simple things? By the way, did you inform Duo about the outhouse?"

"I did and he has the hang of it."

"Good. I'm going to change Heero's dressings; I don't like how he's still bleeding. I've got a poultice boiling now. That should do the trick. I'm glad that spring is here, I'm running out of medicinal herbs."

"I wonder if they know of some that we aren't aware of?"

"That's a good question," she answered as she put her shawl over her shoulders. "Anyway, I shouldn't be gone too long. Breakfast might be a little late this morning."

"You have a patient to tend to, I'll cook, you rest," he said as he closed his eyes.

Cathy paused by the door. "You're letting them both have your bed."

"It can't be helped," Trowa whispered as sleep tugged at his tired brain. He turned his head to the left, his chin resting on his shoulder as he succumbed to slumber.

"Poor Trowa, you're exhausted," she said with a smile before stepping out and heading to the barn to tend to the wounded Keeper. The ground was frozen once more; winter wasn't too keen on letting go of its hold just yet. Not too much longer now, and then the nights would be warm and pleasant and filled with the scent of honeysuckle accompanied by the sounds of night birds calling for their mates.

Cathy let out a sigh as she gripped the handle of the barn and pushed it to the side to release the latch. Before she could get it to open, a large gloved hand fell upon her arm. Another covered her mouth before she could utter a shriek and as she was turned quickly, she realized she was standing face to face with a uniformed stranger. The light of the full moon cast a silver glow onto his pale hair and reflected off of the silver mask covering half of his face. His lips twisted into a wry smile.

"I'm not here to cause you harm, I'm here to ask you a few questions. If I let you go, will you scream?"

Slowly, wisely, Cathy shook her head once to indicate her understanding.

"Good. I like cooperation. My name is Zechs and I am his Excellency's personal hunter." The gloved hand slowly released her mouth and Cathy took a step back, her breathing harsh and shallow. The barn door rattled as she pressed against it.

"I am on the trail of a Keeper. His name is Heero. He has a charge with him that I am very interested in."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered innocently.

The wry smile only deepened into a boyish tug as Zechs leaned in closer to her. "And I am sure that you do. There was a bad wreck. The damage to the road is fresh. Three sets of tracks that I have followed and am familiar with, along with you and your husbands, and a large horse. There is one set that is missing, that of the Keeper's. I haven't located a grave, so he must still be alive. The two women have gone ahead, back home, I presume, to follow their own horses." He paused. "I don't know what became of the wagon, I'm sure your husband has dispatched of it already. It must have been destroyed, but I will say; he is very thorough with getting rid of the evidence."

"I think you should leave," Cathy whispered softly. "We don't want any trouble here. We live here in peace."

"I will give you what you ask for, if you will give _me_ what I am seeking," Zechs said. He lifted his head, his gaze directed at the barn.

"There's nothing in there for you but a sick goat," she answered, and then shrank back further against the door as Zech's imposing form loomed closer to her. "There's nothing in here that concerns you, so you should just leave! Now!"

He lifted a gloved hand, taking her chin and holding it firmly as he pressed his free hand against the door by her head. His voice dropped down to a dangerous growl as he leaned his face close to hers. A glint of silver slipped along the sharp edge along the nose of the mask. "I want the unicorn. I will have it, do you understand me? I will do what it takes to bring the quarry back to my master!"

The hard thock of the arrow as it embedded into the barn wood between his pinky and ring finger cut off his words as effectively as if she had slapped him herself.

"I believe she said to leave. _Now_."

"Trowa," Cathy breathed in response. When the hand holding her chin loosened, she wiggled away from the hunter and jogged a few paces away from him.

"Ah, the husband appears," Zechs said as he turned to face the archer.

"I'm not her husband," Trowa said as he knocked another arrow into the bow and slowly pulled the string. Zechs watched the muscles glide smoothly within the wide open neck of the untied tunic, gauging the young man. He gave him a mental nod for strength and for accuracy. There was potential in this one.

"You need to leave," Cathy said, her voice full of anger. "We don't want you here, we just want to live in peace, is that so much to ask!?"

Zechs smiled once again. "No. I suppose it isn't." He took a few steps towards Trowa, feeling the thrill of adrenaline as the arrowhead glinted the light of the torch in its sconce on the stone wall by the door. It followed him with the intensity of a red wasp protecting his nest. "I wish you… _both…_ a very fine evening," he said, and though he walked away from his prey, the smile never left his lips.

When his footsteps faded, Trowa lowered the bow and removed the arrow to return it to the quiver. Cathy let out a harsh sigh, and then turned to the barn. "Thank you, Trowa. What would I do without you?"

"Marry a rich man and have lots of children," Trowa answered before slipping back into the house.

"Oh Trowa…" Cathy whispered softly in admonishment as she pulled the barn door open. She shut it behind her and latched it before heading to the lantern to turn up the wick. The flame quickly took a better hold and eagerly gave her more light, and while she was busy bustling about, when Heero spoke, she let out a soft squeak of surprise.

"We're only going to cause you trouble." His voice was weak, but firm.

"No, it's dangerous for you to be out there," she said as she sank down onto the fragrant straw next to his body. Her nimble fingers began to unbind his upper arm, where the wound was stubbornly refusing to belay the bleeding.

Heero opened his eyes and turned his head, and he regarded her in contemplative silence for a long while. "We can't stay here," he said. "We're putting you in danger."

"And the other options are what?" Cathy asked as she pressed a folded piece of linen cloth to the injury. "To let you go back out there with that… man and be captured or killed?" She sighed and softened her voice. "We know what you are. You're safe here, with us. We won't let him take you."

"He'll not give up," Heero warned her softly. "Men like him do or die, there is no in between."

"I know. Trowa's the same way." She lifted her face and smiled at him. "So you better get used to staying here. Your friends will return within a week to check on you and bring more supplies. I made a promise that we would protect you, and I always keep my promises. And besides, Duo is in the house with Quatre, and I know that—"

"Quatre? He's… here?"

"Yes," Cathy said as she nodded her head. "Trowa found him on the road, he was badly hurt, but he's doing better now. He and Duo spent the better part of the night entertaining themselves with a hand mirror. It was sweet," she chuckled.

As she spoke to Heero, Zechs listened from the cloak of night.


	11. Chapter 11

A.N. Sorry for the short chapter, it's more along the lines of a filler-fluff type thing. I'll try to make it up with the next. Thanks!

* * *

"What?" Duo slurred thickly as he lumbered through the flap and into the kitchen. His eyes were heavy-lidded, his hair, unbound, a wild untamed mess. "Okay," he breathed. He swayed in place once, blinked, and then blinked again.

"Go back to bed," Trowa murmured from his chair. The sun wasn't up yet, and the fire was slowly dying in the hearth; it barely cast a glow on his face. The pre-dawn chill was permeating into the stone cabin, and he had pulled his blanket up to his chin.

"Where'muh?" Duo slurred again, trying to get bearings in his sleep addled brain. "Huh?"

"Duo," Trowa said, his soft voice just a touch firmer. "You're sleep walking. Go back to bed."

"Heero?"

"He's asleep, you should be too."

A long string of incoherent rambling in a voice full of sleep-thickness answered the archer before Duo swayed, turned, and slowly made his way back to the bedroom. Trowa cracked open an eye, watching the youth make his way back to bed. "Two hours ago, you got up to use the bathroom and you were just fine, now you're completely out of your mind," he muttered as the flap slipped closed behind the long haired youth. If Heero had been in the room with him, the Keeper would have erased all doubts about any fallacies to that statement. Grumbling, Trowa shifted in his chair, crossed one ankle over the other where his feet rested upon a stool, and went back to sleep. He'd have to start their morning meal pretty soon, and then get on with the chores.

* * *

"Trowa won't let me get out of bed yet," Quatre said dejectedly as he gazed wistfully at Duo.

"You've got to heal, then, we can go and explore this place," Duo said as he peered out of the window. Having never seen glass before, he was fascinated with it. The smooth cool texture that let him magically gaze into the outside world was soon covered with the curious unicorn's fingerprints, along with a nose print here and there.

"I know, but… I'm doing better, and it's so… boring just lying here all the time. And if I have to pee, he carries me. When it's time to eat, he brings it to me. When they want me to clean my body, again, he carries me."

Duo turned, sporting a large grin on his face. "Sounds to me like you've got a pair of well-trained pets."

"Ha ha, very funny," Cathy said as she came into the room carrying a tray. "And speaking of baths, after you eat your lunch, I want _you_ , Duo, to take a bath. I'll wash your clothes and Trowa can lend you a tunic top to wear while they dry."

Duo's boyish grin faded as Cathy sat their tray onto the foot of the bed. "Heero… I dreamed of him last night… I should have stayed with him…"

"No," Cathy said quickly as she rose. She would leave it up to Trowa whether or not he wanted to share the news with the boys that the Hunter had found them. "No," she said, toning the sharpness of alarm from her voice. "Heero is resting and is satisfied that you're here in the house with Quatre. If he's happy, then he will heal just fine."

Duo nodded. "I'd still like to see him…"

"Of course," she smiled to him. "But first, lunch. Then bath. I've got to tame that hair of yours."

"As long as you don't cut it," Duo said.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"I have a weird… question…" she said.

Both heads lifted to give her their attention.

"We eat meat here…"

"That is fine," Quatre said. "We know all about the food chain, and while we aren't apex predators ourselves, we've seen the process many times in the wild and understand."

"So you don't mind it, then? That we feed you… meat?"

Duo shook his head. "Tastes good to me."

Quatre nodded in agreement. "Our Keepers even hunt and eat meat," he said. "As long as it's humane, then there's no problem with it."

"Oh…" Cathy said, and then let out a relieved smile. "It's something that didn't hit me until this morning."

"It's fine," Quatre assured her. "Where's Trowa?"

"He's repairing fence at the back of the property today," Cathy said. "You want to get out of bed, don't you?"

"Badly."

"Alright, but if you get caught, it was Duo's idea."

" _Hey_!"

"Sorry, but I don't want to be on the end of _that_ wrath and besides, you look like you can run faster than I can," she said with a soft laugh.

"Traitor!" Duo called out good-naturedly as she, laughing, slipped through the flap. He turned his face to Quatre and tilted his head. "What's a bath? And if I have to take it, where does she want me to put it?" he asked innocently.

Quatre chuckled softly and explained to Duo what exactly a bath entailed. He pointed to the chest at the foot of the bed. "That's where you'll find a spare tunic; he keeps the ones he's grown out of in there. Otherwise, he just pulls one from that thing." He pointed to a tall chifferobe in the corner. "I don't know why he kept his spare clothing, but I guess it's a good thing for us that he did."

Duo lifted the top of the chest without preamble, and began to paw through Trowa's items like a curious foal. He found a pale white linen top that was edged in dark brown and lifted it for Quatre's approval.

"It's awfully long," Quatre said as Duo held it to his chest.

"He's awfully tall," Duo countered as he touched the soft material.

"I need your clothes," Cathy sang from the kitchen. She had gotten her metal tub out, hot water poured in with washing powders that Trowa had brought from town, and her washboard set up within.

"Now?" Duo called.

"No time like the present!" she sang back.

"So then I have to get naked?" he smirked at Quatre.

"If you want to take a bath and have me wash your clothes properly, you do!" she continued to sing at him. The boys began to grow further amused at this.

"So, I have to take off my clothes so you can wash them while I wash my body separately in another room?"

"Yes, that's how us humans do it," she sang.

"Seems like a lot of steps to get one thing done," Duo called back. Now he and Quatre were openly grinning at each other over her singing.

"It's because we use different soaps for different things," she sang.

"Oh…" Duo said as he looked at his friend. "I wasn't aware of that."

"Well, no time like the present. The sooner you're clean and redressed, the sooner you can help me out of here."

Duo nodded and began to strip down. Not being body shy, when he carried his wad of clothing into the kitchen, he couldn't understand the sudden blush and wide opened eyes of his hostess. "What?"

"You could have gotten naked _in_ the bathroom and tossed me your clothes!"

"You didn't _tell_ me to do it that way," Duo pointed out as he pushed them into her hands and then placed his fists onto his hips. He stood there in all his naked glory, watching in fascination as she tried to look everywhere but at his privates. "You said to get naked, so naked I got. Naked I like. Naked I prefer!" he threw his arms up, highly amused at her reaction as she quickly turned her back to him to dump his clothing into the tub.

"Go get a bath!"

"I wish I knew how, lady," he said.

"And stop finding this so funny!"

"You've seen us all naked, you've tended Heero's wounds and Quatre's too and Quatre said you helped him make water, so I don't know why you're so shy all of a sudden!"

"Because I only deal with… with… _those_ ," she turned to swing her hand in the direction of his penis. "When the owners aren't able to handle them themselves!" She suddenly remembered a warning that Heero had given her; how Duo was able to drive people crazy at the blink of an eye. And if he found a weakness with which to do so, he honed in and latched on.

Duo looked down at his manhood, and then sighed. "It doesn't _bite_ ," he reasoned. "Though, in this form, it _is_ rather tiny. It's actually much big… ger…" he looked up to her and noticed that all of the color had drained from her face. "What? I'm telling the truth…"

Quatre leaned forward in the bed and covered his face with both hands; both blushing deeply and laughing as silently as he could at the ruckus that suddenly occurred in the kitchen. Cathy yowled at Duo loudly; Duo cackled and made a break for it when she lunged at him. There was a smack, a squeal, a giggle and lots of commotion. One of the chairs must have been knocked out of place judging by the way the feet squeaked across the wooden floor. Something made a thud against the wall by the main door, Duo yelped, and Cathy cried out in triumph.

Trowa opened the door to the house, the axe over one shoulder, his face blank as he gazed upon the scene in the kitchen. Disarray would be one word he would choose to use to describe the scene. Chaotic was another good one, too. Shocking seemed too mild as he watched Cathy sitting on top of a nude and cackling Duo, holding him down while she threatened his life (and manhood) if he didn't stop the mischief and behave. Judging by the gleam in those amethyst eyes, Trowa could tell that Duo could see right through her bluff. He cleared his throat and Cathy let go of Duo's penis and hopped off of his body.

"Trowa!" she exclaimed, trying to get a handle on herself.

"Cathy…" he said, pointedly looking between one and then the other.

"He started it!" she cried out after a long, pregnant pause.

"And I finished it!" Duo announced loudly as he nimbly rolled to his knees and stood up. Apparently Trowa wasn't as bothered by another naked male as she was. Which was good. Trowa looked like he could actually put some pain behind his knuckles when he swung them.

"Cathy, he's a wild animal, don't forget that," Trowa said. Whatever was going on in his house, he just didn't want to get into the middle of it. Besides, they were both grinning like misbehaving kids, so as long as no one was getting hurt, it wasn't his concern.

"Yeah, I'm a wild animal, don't forget that!" Duo quipped, and then cried out in alarm when she lifted her broom and herded him into the bathroom with it.

Trowa set the axe down and stepped into the kitchen after the bathroom door was shut. Shaking his head, he walked to the deerskin flap, his eyes narrowing in mirthful victory when he heard his sister warn Duo not to leave the room. "I hope she's got that scrub brush," he murmured to himself as he slipped through the flap of the door.

"Hello, Trowa."

"Quatre."

They gazed at each other for along moment, the silence thick, but not entirely uncomfortable.

"Am I a wild animal, too, Trowa?"

"No. That's a spot only Duo seems to have reserved," Trowa said as he walked to his desk and sat down on the chair. He didn't see the small glint of disappointment in Quatre's eyes that they weren't physically closer.

"You're home early…"

"I heard the commotion in the kitchen; I came to see what was going on. I finished repairing the fences earlier than I anticipated, so I wanted to get some wood chopped before night fell."

"Why won't you look at me?"

"I'm sorry," Trowa murmured softly as he lifted his head. When they made eye contact, he felt that small thrill of electricity that fluttered down his spine. He didn't know when that started, but he liked it. He wondered if Quatre felt the same.

"Something's wrong." Quatre tilted his head at Trowa's resumed silence, and he didn't care for the somber expression in those forest green eyes. "You're hiding something from me. We're in danger, aren't we?"

"You're very astute."

Quatre lowered his head, his pale brows furrowed as he let out a sigh. "We've been too much of a burden on you… I… I don't want you to get hurt because of me." He twiddled his fingers together in his lap as the chair scraped gently across the floor. The bed dipped moments later and Quatre sighed again. "So many people have gotten hurt because of me," he said, speaking slowly as if finding difficulty forcing the words out. "This is all so complicated."

"You have enough to worry about; healing for one, let me take this burden from your shoulders," Trowa said softly. Quatre lifted his face; his expression going from tension to a smile the moment Trowa placed his hand upon his shoulder.

"You're right… I… I _shouldn't_ worry, but I can't help it. I am responsible for this whole mess. I should have let those men kill me, then, word would have gotten back to Duo and he wouldn't have gone in search for me, causing Heero to get injured. The Hunters wouldn't come here, to your home, to bother you and them. You're taking such good care of us, it just isn't right to keep piling on the burdens."

Trowa's eyes narrowed and Quatre realized what he had said had made him very angry.

"Trowa…"

"You shouldn't say such things, Quatre. It's not your fault that these Hunters are after your lives. They're the ones who are evil, not you. If you have to fight, Quatre, then _fight_ , but know that I will not let you fight alone. Neither will Cathy." He turned his head so his glare was focused towards the window and not the small blond. "And you _shouldn't_ feel as though you should have died!" he scolded.

"You're very kind, Trowa… and that's why it hurts me so much that you're all a part of this whole mess." He lowered his head again with a sigh, his mind made up. "I want to thank you for everything you've done for me, and for Heero and Duo. You didn't have to protect us, they pay gold for us." He grimaced when he passed that precious bit of information on, but Trowa only scoffed.

"If I want gold, I will go out and earn it. I won't put a friend in danger for it."

"Trowa!" Quatre exclaimed softly in amazement. He lifted his face once more, his eyes searching Trowa's face to see if there were any hint of deception, but he only found courage and resolve. Something sparked in his heart and he felt it bubble up, like fresh water from an underground stream. Tears formed in his eyes and he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Trowa's neck and hugging him tightly. No words would come to convey the new emotions of gratitude, and love, that he felt towards this human.

"No amount of gold is worth one moment of your life, Quatre. They could pay me in a mountain of it… and I still couldn't bear to part with you for it," Trowa whispered into Quatre's golden hair. His arms wound around him and he held him firmly, protectively. _What is becoming of me? What did you do to me, Quatre? Have you wound me in some spell, is that it?_

* * *

" _THIS IS THE MOST_ _ **AMAZING**_ _THING I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY_ _ **LIFE**_ _!_ " Duo loudly exclaimed as he approached the open door of the stall. He peered in at the Keeper who was glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

"Put. The chicken. _Down_. Duo," Heero ground out through clenched teeth.

"But I love it so _much_ ," Duo returned through clenched teeth of his own as he held the poor protesting bird above his head. He slowly lowered it and then clutched it to his chest. "Why are you giving me that look?" He leaned in closer and smiled meanly at his Keeper. "I bet you're just _dying_ to get up and chase me, aren't you?"

Heero's response was to simply clench his fists by his sides as he continued to glare at his charge.

"Turn me back."

"Are you out of your mind, Duo… don't answer that."

"So, this is a chicken, huh?" Duo asked as he stepped into the small room and sank down onto the straw next to Heero.

"Yes, it's where we get eggs."

Duo made a soft, impressionable sound at that bit of information. "So… wonder if I squeeze this thing hard enough, she'll give me eggs?"

"It doesn't work that way," Heero said tightly.

"Catherine's afraid of my penis."

Heero lifted his head up, his mouth pulled into a grimace as he eyed Duo with disbelief. With a groan, he lowered his head back down onto the pillow. "Do I want to know?"

"Nah, not really," Duo said as he scratched the chicken's head. She whirred at him softly and for a brief moment, tried to get away. However, he just had too good of a hold, so she settled back into his lap as he continued to pet her head. "I told her it wouldn't bite."

"Then what happened?"

Duo shrugged. "She chased me, tackled me to the floor, grabbed it and threatened to cut it off, but Trowa came in just in the nick of time and saved it."

Heero sighed softly, closing his eyes. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Get better, and then change me back so we can go home."

"I can't change you back, Wufei has revoked that power from Unicorn _and_ Keeper. It's human or death."

"We should just migrate; move somewhere new and safe."

"Won't work, they'd just follow us."

"I wish we could live on the moon, then. Safe in the night sky and away from the bad people," Duo murmured softly. The hen, now completely calm and relaxed under his gentle petting, closed her eyes and tucked her head down a bit.

"Me too," Heero whispered gently after a long moment of contemplation. "The sky seems so much bigger than the Earth."

"Yeah."

They spent several long moments in companionable silence before Duo couldn't stand it any longer. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Yeah, I am."

"I'll tell Cathy."

"No, they're running low on supplies as it is, I refuse to use any that could benefit them." He turned his eyes to gaze at his charge, who was looking at him in distress. "I'll be fine, I have a high pain tolerance."

"But you just said you were _in_ a lot of pain," Duo said quietly. His fingers roamed over the small comb on top of the hens head and Heero's eyes softened.

"I'll be fine after some rest," the Keeper said. "How's Quatre?"

"Healing, he's bored to death, so'm I," Duo said. "I want to go out and do stuff, but Trowa won't let me help, Cathy won't let me help, I feel so useless, like a foal still on the teat."

"Is that so far from the truth?"

Duo's head shot up and he pinned Heero with a glare. It deepened when he realized that he was being smirked at. " _Hey_! I'll have you know I've been off the teat for a _long_ time, pal!"

Heero snorted softly. "Oh yeah? I don't know, I think you're still a milk-face."

"I am _not_ a milk-face!"

"And now milk-face is cranky and in need of a nap," Heero said softly as he closed his eyes. Duo opened his mouth to continue the argument, but let it snap shut quietly.

"Heero?"

"Mmm?" Heero breathed out softly.

"Rest…" Duo said as he reached out with one hand and gently trialed his fingers along his Keeper's cheek.


	12. Chapter 12

"Trowa!"

This time, the Archer knew it was a dream. The day was too sunny, the sparkles cast from the ripples of the running brook too pristine, like diamonds. He lifted his head and spied the blond as he ran towards him, and an ugly prick of jealously reared its head. In his waking life, he'd only seen Quatre this happy to greet someone when it was Duo. Above him, a thunderhead began to grow.

Quatre sat down before Trowa with enthusiasm, his smile growing larger as he peered up into Trowa's face. "I'm so glad to see you," he gushed as he leaned forward to rest his forearms on his friend's knees. "It's been so long since we've spoken like this."

"In a dream," Trowa responded quietly before turning his head to the left. His gaze swept the immaculate field, where tall heads of grass danced in a cool wind. Above him, the thunderhead roiled against itself in the sky.

"What's the matter? Don't you like this?" Quatre asked gently. "I can change it if you'd like, where would you like to be?"

"Anywhere but a dream," Trowa said firmly, refusing to make eye-contact with the small blond.

"But… I wanted to spend some time with you, Trowa…"

"This isn't _real_ , Quatre, this is…" He lifted his hand and gestured about him as the thunderhead grew larger, cutting off some of the sun's perfect light. "This is fake."

Quatre lowered his head, worrying his lower lip between his teeth for a while. "You're upset with me," he deduced in a quiet voice. "It's not the dream you're really upset about." He lifted his head and peered at Trowa, trying hard to force the matter at hand out of the sullen young man. "Whatever it is, tell me, and I'll do my best to fix it."

"It's nothing," Trowa sighed. "Nothing that can _be_ fixed."

"Do you want me to go away and leave you alone?"

Trowa narrowed his eyes as he glowered at a butterfly that had the audacity to look peaceful and serene. His beat of silence stretched out until Quatre let out a hitched breath and rose on wobbly legs. Thunder rumbled heavily above them and more light was dulled by the thunderhead that continued to grow.

"I see," Quatre said, fighting hard to keep the hurt out of his voice. "If that's what you want, then who am I to refuse you?"

"Thank you," Trowa said tightly, still refusing to cut his gaze to the blond.

Quatre slowly balled his fists as the first tear, released by a blink, trailed down his left cheek. His lips pulled into a tight line and his eyes hardened with pain. "I gave you sunshine and you returned my favor with rain!" he cried out. Thunder cracked overhead the moment Trowa set his jaw in a hard line.

"If you're leaving, then just _go_!" Trowa answered. Drops of rain, small and sparse, began to patter around them.

"Why?" Quatre asked, pleading to know what he had done to be pushed away so rudely. "What have I done to make you so angry, Trowa?"

Trowa finally turned his eyes to Quatre's, and electricity sparked within them. "This is who I am, Quatre. You should have respected my attempt to keep you at a distance, because anyone who gets too close to me gets hurt."

"Cathy doesn't get hurt."

"That's different," Trowa said as he rose. The rain began to grow just a bit harder, and it was cold as it struck their faces.

"I don't see how it _is_ different," Quatre said, but then suddenly paused before nodding his head. Yes, he could see. The siblings shared a tragedy; they understood each other's pain. "I think I understand," he concluded softly. "But Trowa… don't you think that it's time to heal? You've suffered for so long… you had to become a man far too early in your life. You never had time to learn valuable things that all children, of your kind _and_ mine, have to learn while they grow up to be able to cope when bad things in life happen. You had to become an adult far too soon, you had to skip the joy of your youth, didn't you?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Trowa said as he put his back to Quatre. "Why did you think it was a good idea to search me out and follow me into my dreams in the first place?"

"Dreams?" Quatre whispered in disbelief as he shook his head. "You mean those nightmares I freed you from? Would you rather go back to that terror?"

"At least it was real!" Trowa yelled as he turned suddenly to face the small blond. Rage flared in eyes, darkening them with hurt and anger. "What is this?" He threw his arms out. "This is nothing! This is just a fancy of the imagination. _Your_ imagination!" he yelled as he jabbed an index finger towards Quatre. "How do you know what I like or what I want? You give me… this peaceful place that I know isn't real!"

"All I give to you is what _I_ know!" Quatre bantered back. Not one to step away, especially when he knew he was right, he moved to block the Archer from storming away. He gripped his wrist to hold him in place as he pleaded up to him. "I see your pain, Trowa. Even over and through my own, yours radiated with its own dark light, and I couldn't bear for one moment longer that you had to endure that. If all I can do for you is to take away the bad dreams and give you a little bit of relief from your suffering, then I will." He spoke rapidly, knowing that time was fleeting before Trowa discovered how to get away from him by waking himself up, so reaching out, Quatre gently took him by the arms, holding them firmly above the elbows. "You saved my life, Trowa… when so many humans seek to _destroy_ my kind, you saved me." Thumbs gently caressed the soft skin as Quatre battled to keep eye contact with his friend. "You saved me," he whispered. "Let me save you, too."

"Not like this, not in a dream," Trowa said firmly. "Dreams aren't real, they're…" he wanted to say they were memories or illusions, but he never had the chance as lips captured his in a firm kiss. His eyes widened and he inhaled deeply through his nose in surprise as Quatre deepened it, bringing in a fierce sweetness that made the Archer's heart flutter.

He opened his eyes and realized that he was still reclined in his chair in the kitchen, where he had chosen to sleep that night. Duo had fallen asleep in his bed with Quatre, and Trowa had decided to just let it go; let it be. If they were lovers, then there was nothing he could do to gain and ounce of the love he thought the small blond might have felt for him. It was the feeling of hope crushed that had caused him to slam the doors of his heart shut. What he was not expecting when he awoke from the dream, was for Quatre to be straddling his lap and glaring at him pointedly. He felt a stirring in his loins at that sharp gaze.

"I _meant_ what I said in the dream," Trowa whispered, his voice still sleep hoarse. His feet were resting on an ottoman, and he shifted them from one ankle to the other to give them some much needed relief.

"And _I_ meant _this_ ," Quatre whispered back firmly as he took a double fistful of Trowa's tunic and leaned forward, capturing his lips in their first waking kiss. Trowa gasped as his eyes rolled back, his hands moving on their own accord to rest against the slender waist. It was his first real kiss and it was even better in this physical world. He dearly _hoped_ he was awake, at least. Slowly, his arms wound around the pale form, pulling him close and holding him tightly against his body, not daring for any chance to come along to snatch him away.

Quatre tilted his head, parting his lips to deepen the kiss. In the dreams, he had gotten rather good at this human show of affection. Not to mention the fact that it was very enjoyable. Trowa's lips parted in response and slowly began to work against Quatre's. The blond let out a soft moan of pleasure and a strange feeling began to grasp his heart as his fingers trailed along Trowa's long neck, feeling his pulse hammer beneath his fingertips.

* * *

"Just… lemme… have 'em!" Duo growled furiously as he cupped his hands tightly, trying to keep Heero from retrieving his belongings.

"They're not… _yours_ ," Heero grunted as he tried to pry Duo's fingers apart so he could get them out of his hands. "They're mine and you're going to crush them!"

"Why are your hands so _strong_?" Duo complained as he tried to double over to protect his newfound precious items.

"Because you're hanging onto something that doesn't… nnngh! Belong to you! Why were you digging around in my pants to begin with?"

"Just a few minutes, that's all I ask!"

"No! Let them go and let me have them back!" Heero ground out in frustration. "You're going to crush them!"

"Again, why are your hands so _strong_!?"

"They're the only part of me that _isn't_ wounded!" Heero countered. Even lying on his back, bandaged from head to toe, he still refused to give into the mischievous unicorn. No matter the cost. He sneered as he once again began to fight with Duo, barely paying Cathy any heed as she came to the stall door, a fresh bucket of milk in her grasp.

" _Just let me play with your balls_!" Duo cried out in frustration.

"No!" Heero yelped as fingers pinched his hand in an endeavor to stop his attempt to foil Duo.

Slowly, Cathy turned, and without a word to the two, she walked out of the barn. "Well, as Trowa says, not my monkey, not my circus."

"Why can't I have them? They're amazing! I just want to play with them for a little while, is that… nnngh… too much to ask!? Besides, Quatre needs to see them! I bet he's never seen balls like these before!"

"They're not toys, Duo, they're valuable to me, so let… nnngh… them…. _go!"_

"Ah!" Duo cried out in triumph as he fondled the soft bag in his fingers before lifting it up over his head. He smirked into Heero's scowling countenance and then rose. "I won't lose your balls, I promise."

"They're not balls, Duo, they're _marbles_ , and they are valuable to me," Heero sneered. "For every one that you lose, damage or destroy, I will _kill_ you."

Duo turned his nose into the air, but cut his eyes down to Heero as he smirked at him. "Promises, promises," he said before turning and trotting out of the barn.

"You have no compassion for the wounded!" Heero roared after him. "I won't forget that!"

"Hey!" Duo cried out to Cathy, who was peering through the kitchen window with a shocked expression on her face. When she heard Duo's cry, she turned slowly, set the bucket of milk down and put her back to the door.

"What's wrong?" she asked as the grinning youth bounded up to her, holding up the leather pouch.

"Wanna see Heero's balls?"

Her lips quivered as she tried to hide a smile. "I… uh…"

"Here, look, they're amazing," Duo said as he fumbled the drawstring open and poured the colorful marbles into his palm. "Aren't these the most awesome things you've ever seen?"

"Those are marbles, Duo."

"Yeah, that's what Heero said, too. Balls… marbles… same thing."

"Not exactly," she smiled. "You play a game with them. Trowa is good at it, we can show you how."

"A game?" Duo asked in awe as he looked at her. "You mean… Heero just might have a small grasp of what fun is?"

Cathy chuckled as she put her hand on his shoulder. "I think you might be right. Come on, help me in the orchard for a while, I need to prune some branches on the apple trees."

Duo tilted his head. "Why in the world would you do that? To make _less_ apples?"

"It's good for the trees, it might make a few less apples, but the ones that grow will be bigger and healthier." She lifted the bucket up and walked over to the churn resting in the shade of a large oak tree near the barn. "Then, I can show you how to make butter."

Duo shrugged. "Okay, sure. Then can you show me how to play with Heero's balls?"

"Marbles!" Heero's voice drifted faintly through the barn.

"I think he's starting to feel better," Duo whispered to Cathy.

Cathy cut her gaze to the barn before leaning in close to Duo, where she whispered with a wry grin. "I think you might be right."

* * *

Quatre pulled away, and then leaned slowly back in, taking Trowa's full lower lip between his teeth. He nibbled it slowly, causing the Archer to groan and shift beneath him, and then began to suckle it, pulling them into another slow, sweet kiss. When he released him again, Trowa opened his eyes. They were hazy, almost drunk with passion.

"Quatre…"

The blond smiled as he trailed his fingers along Trowa's cheek. "That was… intense. That's a proper way to look at it, right?"

Trowa nodded slowly. "Oh yes," he breathed.

"We startled Cathy," Quatre chuckled as he eased back to perch on Trowa's knees, his fingers slowly trailing down the broad chest. He fiddled with the rawhide ties that crisscrossed above Trowa's breastbone. "She'll be okay. I felt her shock, but also her joy. And her mirth. She likes to laugh, doesn't she?"

Trowa nodded as he drank in the blush that had formed on Quatre's cheeks. "She does."

"Good. I do, too. I can't wait until I can run again. She can run with me, and Duo, too. We like to laugh and play."

"That would be good for her."

"I don't know about Heero, though. From what Duo says, he seems more reserved, almost stern. I think you and he would become very good friends. Don't you think, Trowa?"

"Yes," Trowa whispered. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded. It could be a good thing to actually have a friend that understood his stoic ways. Someone he could spend time with in friendship where all they could do is share a companionable silence. It held an allure to him.

"I want to go meet Heero," Quatre said, his fingers still twiddling with the rawhide strings. The sensation of the feather light touch sent goosebumps along Trowa's flesh. It felt good, he didn't want it to stop just yet.

"Do you want me to carry you to the barn?"

"I'd like to walk," Quatre answered as he trailed his fingers along the smooth flesh, completely absorbed in the activity of simply touching Trowa's skin. "I'd like to build up my strength and the barn isn't far at all."

"Alright," Trowa agreed. "Heero might need some company that doesn't tax him mentally."

Quatre lifted his eyes and smiled. "That's true. Duo's always been so energetic, but I really hope you two can become friends. He's always been by my side, he's loyal to a fault, even if he often says otherwise."

"Does he?"

"Yeah, he sometimes says he's not the most loyal friend out there, I don't know where he gets that idea. I think he thinks so little of himself."

"Why?"

"He was an orphan. Wufei rescued him after hunters killed his mother and bottle fed him until he was weaned. His father was slaughtered long before he was born. He feels that anyone he gets close to… well, he feels he's responsible for bad things happening to them. Maybe that's why he came looking for me, hoping that I wasn't dead, too. I think finding me has given him some hope."

"Hope is always a good thing, but too much can be devastating if it's crushed."

"You shouldn't think that way, Trowa. Hope is a wonderful thing. If it weren't for you and Cathy, I would have lost all that I had. I was so close to dying that night, I wanted to see the sunset for the last time, and suddenly, there you were, hovering in my line of vision. I was _so_ angry and bitter by the time you got me into the wagon, because night had fallen and I had missed it…"

"Then tonight, you and I will watch the sunset," Trowa whispered. "To wipe away that bitter memory and replace it with something better."

Quatre beamed at him. "I would love that, Trowa." Leaning forward, Quatre shifted in Trowa's lap, straddling his hips as he wound his arms around his neck. They gazed into each other's eyes for a long moment before Quatre leaned forward and sealed their lips into another, gentle kiss.

* * *

Trowa walked with Quatre to the barn, holding onto his arm to keep him balanced. The distance wasn't far, but the blond was sweating with exertion by the time they reached the large set of double doors. "Thank you, Trowa," he said as the Archer pulled one of the doors open for him. The sweet smell of hay wafted out and Quatre closed his eyes for a moment as he relished it. "Where do you keep your animals? I don't smell them."

"We let them stay outside, unless the weather gets bad," Trowa explained as he guided the blond into the dim structure. "And I like to keep it clean. I don't think it's right for an animal to be locked up in a place where it can wallow in its own filth."

Quatre lifted his face up and gazed at Trowa with an open look of adoration. "You are a wonderful person," he whispered. Trowa didn't answer, he could hardly keep eye contact with Quatre over the heartfelt praise.

"Heero's in here," Trowa whispered gently as he took Quatre's elbow and led him to the first stall on the right. They peered in and watched as the Keeper slept, his head turned and his chin resting against his right shoulder. "He was badly hurt," Trowa murmured as he rested his hand along the top of the stalls half-wall. "I'm honestly surprised he's made it this far. His tolerance to pain must be astounding. We're still working to get his fever down, that's being stubborn."

"He's so young," Quatre marveled. "I wonder why Wufei chose to pair him with Duo?"

"He said we both needed the experience," Heero whispered, their soft voices having roused him from sleep. He opened his eyes and gazed at the pair. So this was Quatre. He was stunning, just as he was described by several Keepers and Unicorns alike.

Quatre smiled as he limped in through the door, and with respect, he lowered his head in a bow before lifting it back up. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Heero. My name is Quatre, but… I have a feeling you already know who I am. Thank you for coming, and I am sincerely sorry that you have been injured on my account."

"It's not your fault," Heero said as he turned his face forward. "I blame Zechs for this. If he wasn't trying to hunt us, this would have never happened."

Quatre lowered his head, but gave it one firm nod. "You're right," he agreed. "May I come in?"

Heero lifted his right hand and gestured to his side.

"Thank you," Quatre said, and with Trowa's help, he was eased down next to Heero. "This is Trowa."

"I know," Heero answered as he looked at the Archer. "He pulled the wagon off of me."

"I'm surprised that you remembered that," Trowa said as he leaned against a corner beam, his arms folded over his chest.

"Me too," Heero answered. "We did what we had to do to get away."

"I think Zechs might believe you to be dead," Trowa said. "If that's the case, then you might be safe."

"Maybe so," Heero said. "But I gotta tell you one thing."

"What's that?"

"Dying hurts like hell," Heero deadpanned. Trowa was silent for a moment, processing that bit of information before he leaned his head back and laughed. Quatre smiled, and soon, began to chuckle with them.

"Trowa?" Cathy called as she peered into the open door. "Are you in here?"

"Yes," Trowa called back. He pushed away from the corner and met his sister as she came into the barn.

"Oh thank goodness, I need your help!"

"What's wrong?"

"Duo was helping me prune the apple trees, he got into one of the larger ones and was pinching blooms, I guess he got so absorbed in his chore that he kept climbing higher and higher and I guess before he realized it he had went too high. Now he can't get down," she said in exasperation.

"Alright, I'll fetch the ladder." Trowa walked out of the stall and headed towards the back of the barn as Catherine came in and kneeled down next to Heero.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Stiff and sore, but on the mend," Heero answered. "He's stuck up in a tree?"

"I'm afraid so," she sighed. "I guess it can't be helped, he's not used to being human, and he was so helpful, I guess his enthusiasm to work got the better of him." She let out a soft laugh. "It's actually quite funny. He's way up high, clinging to a branch."

A small, wry smile formed on Heero's face. "I wish I could see that," he said. "Just tell him if he scratches my marbles, I'll kill him."

"I will," Cathy said gently as she touched Heero's shoulder. "Are you hungry? I've got a chicken pie in the oven now."

Heero nodded once as Trowa walked past them, holding the ladder under his arm.

"Good," Cathy smiled. "I'll have your meal out soon. You just keep an eye on him for me, okay, Quatre?"

"I will," Quatre said. "Please don't let Duo get hurt."

"I won't," Trowa answered for his sister as he headed to the orchard. "Cathy, which tree?"

She rose and trotted after him. "Oh, don't worry, you can't miss him."

"Duo? Are you okay up there?" Cathy asked as Trowa set the ladder against the tree. How the youth had managed to make his way thirty feet into the air was beyond either of them.

"Uh, no, no I'm not," Duo said decidedly. "Am I going to fall and die? I really don't want to fall and die…'

"You're not going to fall and die," Trowa said as he began to carefully ascend the ladder. "And Heero said if you damaged his marbles, he will kill you."

Duo scoffed. "He said I had no compassion for the wounded, well, I'll let him know that he has no compassion for the stuck!" he groused.

"You'll be fine," Trowa assured him. "Just keep that mindset and all will be okay."

"This is crazy," Duo sighed as he watched the branches below him shake as Trowa began to grow closer. "Are you sure you'll be able to help me out of here?"

"Of course. I climb trees regularly when I hunt."

"Good, then perhaps I won't die today," Duo said as he shifted from foot to foot. He adjusted his grip on the branch above him, holding on tightly as the top of the tree began to sway with Trowa's added weight.

"No," Trowa answered calmly as he found the trapped Unicorn. "No dying today. Okay, I want you to turn around facing the same direction that I am, and then step your foot onto my shoulder. You need to slowly climb your way down until you're on my back. Wrap your legs around my waist and hang onto my shoulders. Please don't grab my neck; I need to breathe if you want me to get us back to the ground."

"That means letting go with both hands…"

"You'll be fine," Trowa assured him. "If you start to fall, I'll grab you."

"Yeah, but who'll grab _you_ when I pull you down!"

"You'd be surprised at what I can accomplish under pressure," Trowa said as he tapped the top of Duo's foot. "Come on, do as I say."

"When you put it that way, my natural instinct is to do exactly the opposite," Duo frowned as he turned around. "I'm heavy," he warned.

"That's okay, I'm strong," Trowa countered. "Put your foot on my shoulder and bend your knees, I'll hold your hands."

"Alright," Duo frowned as he stepped onto the strong shoulder. Trowa didn't even flinch, and that gave the Unicorn the confidence to let go of the branch above his head and slowly bend his knees. Trowa could feel him tremble in fear, but was impressed that he didn't show any signs of weakness. Reaching up, he grasped Duo's hands in his own, and helped him slide down his back before wrapping his legs around his waist.

"Hang onto my shoulders," Trowa instructed again, and Duo did as he was told. Slowly, the archer began to move back down the tree. "I thought you said you were heavy."

"I am."

"You're not that heavy."

"Huh, you must be superhuman or something," Duo mused as the ground began to gradually grow closer.

"No, I think _that_ title belongs to Heero," Trowa answered thoughtfully. When he reached the ladder, he climbed down quickly and let Duo hop off. Before he could blink, however, arms wrapped around him tightly as Duo clung to him in gratitude. The hug was tighter than any Trowa had ever experienced and he let out a soft "Woof!" of surprise. When he let go, Duo opened his arms, threw his head back and announced loudly; "I LIVED! Where's my chicken?" and before Trowa could question the odd outburst, the braided youth darted away towards the barn.

"I wonder," Trowa murmured to Cathy, who laughed softly at the antics.

"What's that?" she asked.

"If we could geld him. Could you imagine _that_ loose in a crowd?"

Cathy smirked, but playfully smacked her brother on the bicep. "Be nice, he's just having fun."

Trowa watched the Unicorn as he grew smaller with distance. "That's what I'm _afraid_ of," he mused quietly. He jerked his arm away with a sharp laugh as Cathy once again slapped it.


	13. Chapter 13

"I promised Quatre that I would take him to watch the sunset. He said the night that I found him he was preparing to die and wanted to see it one last time."

"That's so dire," Cathy mused as they headed back to the barn. The wooden ladder, tucked beneath Trowa's right arm, creaked amiably as they walked. "He had given up hope, hadn't he?"

"You saw how bad his condition was when I brought him home. He was furious with me because when I found him, I had blocked his line of vision and by the time I put him in the wagon, it was full dark. He had missed it. I'll take him to the lake tonight so we can watch it."

"That sounds very sweet, Trowa."

The archer scoffed silently as they approached the barn.

"Oh my stars!" Cathy exclaimed suddenly. "I can't believe I poured the entire bucket of milk into the churn instead of getting the cream off the top. I don't know what's gotten into me," she said as she pressed the heel of her palm against her forehead. "C'mon, Duo, I'll show you how to make butter after I fix my mistake."

"Okay," Duo answered softly as Trowa pulled open the barn door and stepped inside. In the short time it had taken for Trowa to rescue the youth from his precarious perch in the tree, Heero had drifted back to sleep.

"It was all he could do to speak to me. He keeps up such a pretense of strength, but that couldn't be further from the truth," Quatre whispered as the archer gently helped him to his feet.

"He's strong enough to survive," Trowa murmured back as he put his arm around Quatre and led him out of the stall. "It's up to him whether or not he decides to live."

"He will, he'll survive," Quatre whispered. Trowa pushed the barn door open a bit wider, and together, they returned to the early spring evening. The sun was starting to head towards the tree line, sending a golden hue to the tender buds. "He wants to live, I can feel that."

The door clattered shut behind them and they continued their slow pace back to the house. "I think this has worn you out," Trowa murmured.

"No… I'm fine," Quatre assured him with words that were strained and determined. "I'll never get well if I don't try."

"If you try too hard, you'll only hurt yourself worse," came the answer.

"True… however, you and Cathy have kept me in your nest for so long, I was worried that my legs would forget how to hold this body up."

"It hasn't been that long, Quatre. It just feels that way."

"I know. I'm just not used to being in one place for so long."

"I'll take you to the lake and let you watch the sunset, if you'd like," Trowa said. Rather than look at Quatre as he spoke, he turned his eyes to the sparse tree line. In a few weeks, the edge of the forest would be bursting with life and a greenness that made his heart ache with longing. The winter had been too long.

"I'd like that," Quatre said. The joy in his voice was unmistakable. "Where is the lake?"

"It's near, I can put you in the handcart and maybe Cathy might put our dinner in there, too. We can enjoy a late evening."

Quatre's smile was like the summer sun breaking through a cloud. Trowa had made the mistake of glancing down at him, and felt his heart clench yet again. This ache was different.

* * *

His arms hurt, his shoulders were sore, and the muscles in his chest were screaming at him, but even though he had completed the first chore of his life, Duo felt satisfaction as Cathy put the freshly churned butter into a bucket. When she set the lid on, she gave Duo a smile and told him what a good job he had done.

"I like chores," he admitted. "It makes me feel…"

"Human?"

He chuckled as he rubbed his right shoulder. "It does," he agreed. "Hey… where are they going?" He nodded his head to Trowa, who was pulling Quatre in his hand wagon.

"They're going to watch the sunset, Trowa wanted to let Quatre see it."

Duo nodded faintly as he went to work rubbing his left shoulder. "Quatre loves the sunset."

"Yeah," she agreed as she put the bucket of butter on the shelf and then opened the box that held their firewood.

"Well… Heero's resting, I've done my work, do you mind if I go out and explore a little bit? Get a feel for the area?"

"Sure, but don't stray too far, supper will be done soon."

"Alright," Duo agreed as he rose from the stool and slipped through the door.

Even if he didn't care to watch the sunset, Duo had to admit that it _was_ a lovely evening. Winter's chill had succumbed to a sweeter warmth in the breeze that caressed his face. He stood at the road for a while, his eyes closed as he inhaled deeply. Everything would be waking up soon; a burst of green as the trees spread free their boughs. He missed the sound of a storm wind that rustled through the leaves, but, soon he would hear his favorite song again.

"Unicorn."

Duo's eyes snapped open. There was no mistaking that voice, the graveling growl of the masked human. He turned quickly, his fists forming into balls as he found himself face to face with Zechs.

"You can't kill me," Duo whispered. A quick glance around the area assured him that they were alone. It disturbed him greatly how this hunter had slipped upon him, silent as a shadow. Was the man that well trained, or was Duo losing his gifts in that human body? He'd have to ask Heero, who seemed to be gifted in bounds in that body he possessed.

"No, regretfully not," Zechs answered as he adjusted the silk glove on his right hand. "But I can watch and wait."

"Wait? For what?" Duo lowered his head as his expression became angry and guarded.

"For you to make a mistake, and when you do, I will pounce."

"Then why tell me about it?" Duo's upper lip curled up into a snarl as he lowered his head further while squaring his shoulders. Most cornered animals had the sudden impulse of fight or flight. Most chose flight, Duo was more interested in fight.

"Because why let you live in peace when I can cause you grief?"

A bark of laughter surprised the hunter and for a brief moment, Zechs' lips pulled into a tight line.

"Give it up, you don't frighten us. And even if you did," Duo said as he began to close the distance between himself and the tall blond. "What makes you think we'd give _you_ the pleasure to know how miserable you were making us? Huh?"

The tight thin line was replaced by a lazy, smug smile. "Because I am good at what I do," Zechs whispered. His eyes behind the mask scanned the handsome face before him, but deep within his heart, he felt a needling thrill. There was no bluff directed at him; the unicorn was telling the truth. He simply wasn't afraid of the hunter. "Be as it may that you are in that form, I know that you ache to feel the wind through your mane. Am I right?"

Duo continued to glare up to him without answering. They battled in silence for a long while and Zechs realized that for the first time since he couldn't remember when, he felt intimidation. He clamped his heart around the emotion, twisting it until it could turn bitter. The audacity of his prey!

"You should be grateful it was I, and not his Excellency, that have decided to personally pursue you."

"That means nothing to me," Duo whispered, his eyes still hard as flint as he held his ground.

"It should."

"It doesn't. Now get out of here before I get angry."

Making a show of how unafraid of Duo he was, Zechs let out a soft chuckle as he once again adjusted his silk gloves. "We'll speak again, you and I. Preferably with the blond, as well. Duo is your name, isn't it? Fitting because you live as one, but are the other."

"Just go," Duo snapped, his face still holding the dark thunderheads of his mood. "And don't come back, or else we'll have to defend ourselves."

"Threaten me, and see where that gets you, _boy_ ," Zechs answered and the venom in his tone caused Duo to take a step back. "You're nothing more than a colt anyway; you've no place to threaten me. I am not on the human's property, this road belongs to his Excellency, and you'll be wise to understand that. I'm sure your friends pay well with taxes as it is."

Duo tilted his head. He wasn't accustomed to the phrase of taxes, but the way this cruel human spoke the word, it couldn't be good. Something about it told him that it wielded Treize's power over Trowa and Catherine. Not wanting to cause any grief for his human friends, he relented. "I'm going home," he said in a clipped tone. Without another word, he boldly turned his back on the hunter and as calmly as he could manage, walked back towards the path that led to the old stone house.

* * *

"Heero?"

Long lashes fluttered, and a crease formed in his brow at the sound of his name whispered close to his ear.

"Heero… are you awake? It's important."

Cobalt eyes slowly cracked open, tracking Duo immediately. "What is it?"

"That hunter was back," Duo said as he got comfortable in the hay next to Heero's right hip.

A flash of concern flashed across the Keeper's features, but when he tried to sit up, hands gently gripped his shoulders and forced him to remain supine. "No, don't get up. He's gone… for now."

"Did he threaten you?" Heero cut his eyes to the water skin, a silent request for a drink. Obeying the nonverbal request, Duo grasped it, popped the cork out and helped him to take a much needed drink. When his thirst was slaked, he returned the skin to its place and recounted his story. "What are taxes?"

"I think they're monies Kingdoms require of their citizens."

"I don't understand… why?"

"It's a human thing, Duo, don't worry about it."

Pulling his braid over his shoulder, the unicorn worried it gently in his fingers as he lost himself in thought. Heero watched him with hooded eyes, knowing something was concerning his charge, but decided to let Duo speak when he felt the time was right. Moments stretched out, gaining minutes which gained nearly three quarters of an hour before he spoke again.

"Heero… what am I to become in this body?"

"What do you mean?" His normal monotone was slurred because he had been on the verge of dozing off when Duo chose to speak.

"I mean… the longer I'm in this body, will I lose who I am? _What_ I am?"

It was Heero's turn to fall silent, but the minutes didn't stretch out as they previously did. "No, Duo. You are who you are, no matter what package you're in. You're still a unicorn, now in a new body. You won't grow old, and you won't die unless killed."

"Really?" Relief washed over Duo's face.

"I promise," Heero said.

"Should I tell Trowa and Cathy what happened?"

"It's for the best," Heero answered as he tucked his chin to his shoulder. "They need to know the threat is still out there."

Duo studied his Keeper for another long moment. "You're in pain?"

"Manageable," Heero whispered.

"It's been two weeks..." Duo murmured.

"I'll be okay."

"Promise?"

Cobalt eyes cracked open the tiniest bit. "I promise."

* * *

Quatre didn't feel right eavesdropping, but the argument was so loud, there was just no way around it. He had had a wonderful evening with Trowa as they sat by a lake, enjoying the way the water's edge was laced with ice. The melt was already happening. They had enjoyed the supper Cathy had packed for them as they watched the sky explode into colors so radiant and so beautiful that they made Quatre's heart ache in appreciation. Trowa had let him lean against his side for support, slipping his arm around the small blond to give him more comfort. They didn't have much to say and together, for nearly an hour, they simply enjoyed each other's company. When the once brilliant clouds turned to the color of ash, Trowa had simply stood without a word, lifting Quatre with him and carried him back to the cart. When they got home, they were met with the ominous news Duo had brought.

"Trowa, it's senseless to go after him. They'll put you in the stocks or execute you in the courtyard!" Cathy exclaimed.

"He can't do this, Catherine!" Trowa countered, his voice rising in anger. Quatre felt himself shrink against the headboard.

"And you can't, either, Trowa! I won't have you killed, I refuse to allow it!"

"I can't sit around and let them harass us either!"

"They'll go away… they'll have to when they see that the boys won't change for them. They'll give up!"

"When has Treize ever given up?" Trowa barked. His voice was louder now, but only because he was at the flap to his room, ready to duck into it and disappear from his sister.

"We have to be stronger than he is," Cathy said, her voice taking on a pleading edge. "Trowa, I need you! I don't need a stone cross out in the field."

::Duo… they're fighting…::

::I know, buddy. I'm sitting at the well and can hear them from here::

::What do we do?::

::I'm thinking on it, but I have to tell ya, this isn't good. No matter how you look at it, we're in trouble.::

::I don't want to put our friends into any more despair than we already have, yet… I owe them so much:: Quatre let out a soft mental sigh as he sank down onto his side. ::I'm just so sick of it all. Sick of being pursued, sick of lying in this bed with nothing to look at but a tiny piece of outside. I'm sick of being useless::

::I know exactly how you feel. I wish we could just leave and everything would be back to the way it was. No thanks to Treize, we're in the mess we're in now::

::It could be worse::

::It could:: Duo agreed. ::At least we have shelter, warmth and food. And friends::

::And friends:: The smile in Quatre's vocal mind-link was like summer sun.

::I'll come check on you tonight, Heero promised me that he would live. I'm glad. I feel bad about what happened to him::

::You're kinder to him now:: Quatre noted, and then chuckled out loud at the mental snort that was directed at him. ::Come on, admit it. He's growing on you::

::Never! He's a stoic, stubborn, bull-headed pain in my side! I don't need a Keeper! Stop laughing!::

::And yet, you sometimes never change the course of conversation away from him once you get to going on about him::

::All the more reason we should leave::

::Leave?::

::Yeah, leave. These guys… these guys aren't after Heero, or Catherine or Trowa. They're after us. If we're gone, then they won't have any business being around here::

::Duo, I don't think that's a very good idea! You know how skilled Zechs is as a tracker, he'd find us in hours!::

::Then we'll have to go somewhere where there's a lot of people, blend in and give him more of a challenge. We're sitting ducks here and we're doing nothing but causing trouble for our friends. I can't believe how low I feel::

::But what if Zechs does something to them to punish them because we left? Just to be vindictive?::

Duo winced at the thought as he lowered his head. His eyes darted from one booted foot to the other as he tried to grasp the weight of that particular situation. ::I don't know. A part of me wants to agree with you, but another part of me wants to think he has a smidgen of honor that wouldn't let him do something so evil::

::I want to believe that latter part with you, Duo, I do, but I just don't _trust_ him not to harm them out of spite::

Duo exhaled loudly and tipped his head back. ::I won't leave you behind, but I just don't think I could bear staying here and keeping the risk of something bad happening to them. This is so strange, I never thought I would care for humans, and _especially_ a Keeper::

::Ah _ha_!::

::Shut up and go to bed!::

::In all seriousness, Duo… maybe we should fight::

::We can't fight that army, Quatre. You know better than that:: Duo's voice was of defeat, honed in bitterness.

::Of course we could!::

::With who?! You, who can barely walk, me, Trowa and Cathy and a wounded Keeper?::

::What about Sally and Noin? And Wufei!::

::We would be dead before we hit the ground:: Duo answered as his tone turned ominous. ::I'm sorry, Quatre, but that's out of the question::

Desperation in his voice, Quatre timidly asked, ::Do you think leaving is the _only_ option?::

::It's the only thing I can think of:: With a sigh, Duo rose. ::I'm going to bed, seems like the fight in there is winding down::

::You're right, it is. Goodnight, Duo::

::Night, Quatre::

Quatre lifted his head as Trowa snatched the flap open and stalked into his room. For a moment, the Archer had completely forgotten about the blond in his bed. When he caught sight of large concerned cerulean eyes, he paused in his step, blinking.

"Are you alright, Trowa?"

"No," Trowa answered honestly. His shoulders sagged down as he turned to gaze into the darkness through the window. "I don't know what to do about this."

"Dying doesn't seem to be the best solution to this problem."

Trowa frowned and resisted the urge to look into those deep eyes. "Not you, too," he murmured as he began to get undressed.

"I won't press you, you're stressed enough as it is. And we had such a lovely evening, let's focus on that."

"Yes," Trowa said, his voice hinting on gratitude. "We'll focus on that." He slipped into the pair of knee length leggings he wore to bed, and trimmed the wicks on the hurricane lamps. "I'll need to purchase more fuel when I go back to town."

"Okay," Quatre agreed gently as he pulled back the covers on Trowa's side of the bed for him. When the tall man sank down onto the mattress, he covered him up and then snuggled down against his side. "Are you okay, Trowa?"

"I'll be fine. Eventually."

A gentle hand pressed against the center of the bare muscled chest. "You will," Quatre whispered gently.


	14. Chapter 14

"The Princess is going to be crowned Queen next spring," Cathy murmured softly as she read the official royal parchment that had been hand delivered to the household. Every family, from the richest of the elites, to the poorest of peasants would have an exact copy of this decree, of that, there was no doubt. Princess Relena was to become Queen. "And in celebration she's visiting all the surrounding towns to welcome her new subjects. Why, next month, she will be in _our_ town for a ball and I don't have anything to wear."

"That's fine, since we're not going," Trowa interjected. They were having breakfast; Heero's first at the table since he had become well enough to walk with assistance.

"Oh Trowa," Cathy admonished him gently. "They're expecting everyone to be there, nothing bad can happen, surely!" she exclaimed as she read over the decree once more before rolling it back up. She gave her brother a sad look as she carefully retied the velvet ribbon. "With all those people there, we won't even be noticed. Or bothered with."

"Zechs' sister is to become Queen," Trowa said as he returned to his meal. "Not he, the elder brother, but his younger sister was chosen above him. If you think for a moment that he won't take that personal insult out on the first person he can, you're sorely mistaken. We're not going."

"Sally and Noin will be going," Catherine said as she tucked the keepsake away into a small wooden chest. "And you know they'll want us to come, too."

"No."

Duo lifted one eyebrow and exchanged a look with Heero from across the table. Heero answered with a sharp quirk of his own before wisely addressing his plate with more interest than it merited his meager appetite.

Catherine mulled about a moment longer before sitting back in her seat. "The days are getting warmer now," she commented before she started her meal.

"No," Trowa answered.

"I'll have to get some lighter material to make my dress, with all those bodies; it's going to be overly warm. Perhaps they'll have the ball outside."

" _No_."

"And you'll all need new outfits, I can't have you going looking like farmers, can I?" she chuckled.

"Catherine," Trowa's voice held a sharp edge, dangerous in its budding anger, as he addressed his sister once more. "We're not going."

"We are," Cathy countered immediately and her eyes flashed her own anger. "We're _safe_ , Trowa. The Princess has a tender heart, she wouldn't allow _anything_ to happen to any of her subjects, be they human or not! We could reason with her! Perhaps she could even protect us!"

"That's nonsense, and you know it! Go crawling to some woman for help from her own brother?"

"Do you want to live or die?" It was Quatre that had broken the argument by speaking up softly, but firmly. "We should be diplomatic."

"Quatre…" Trowa said, his voice pleading, but the heated emotion drained from it.

"I would like to meet her," he said as he lifted his chin stubbornly. His countenance firm and yet soothing at the same time. Heero felt a flash of pride, having forgotten, briefly in the situation, of who Quatre was to his own people.

"I can't…"

"Prince, to Princess."

" _Prince_?" It was Catherine who let out the surprised exclamation.

"Of my people, yes," Quatre said simply. He lowered his head to break open his biscuit, and then lifted his eyes. Cathy and Trowa were still staring at him in shock. "What?" he asked quietly.

Trowa inhaled deeply and lifted his hands to slowly rub his face. He knew there was no way to argue out of this, so he simply asked the question on his tongue. Of course it sounded rude, and he was sorry, but relieved when Quatre didn't take it that way. "Can you prove it?"

Heero spoke up. "He doesn't have to, it's true."

Duo nodded his head, looking at the siblings as if they were crazy _not_ to believe.

"Your kind actually has hierarchy?" Cathy asked, curious as she leaned forward on the table. Her elbows brushed the wooden surface before her manners kicked in and she tucked them against her sides.

"Of course. Even the Keepers have a hierarchy," Quatre explained as Heero nodded his head once.

"Wufei," Duo said as he wrinkled his nose. "But a Keeper's status does not go above a Unicorns."

"No," Quatre answered gently. "And I think Cathy is right; there will be too many people there, we should be safe in great numbers."

"But what if something goes wrong?" Trowa tried again once more, a valiant effort in his last attempt to put to bed this nonsense.

"Well," Quatre said, pulling the word out slowly as he began to pick the fluff out of his biscuit, crumbling it onto his plate. "We go from there?"

Duo grinned at his friend. "I knew I'd rub off on you!"

Heero shook his head slowly and suppressed the urge to groan deeply at that.

* * *

"You have a month to learn to walk again," Duo said as he loomed over Heero. The smell of lunch cooking wafted gently on the breeze beneath the large apple tree the young Keeper rested beneath.

"And you have a month to learn to dance," Heero countered.

"Dance…" His eyes snapped open. "Oh! That's what they were doing when I met Sally and Noin! I went to get your tunic and the humans were playing music and jumping around like they were mad," he said as he rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully. "I didn't know if they were rabid, or had lost their minds. Then, one woman grabbed me and I was helpless because she had me in such a strong grip! She drug me around in circles laughing like a loon. I don't see why they find that so enjoyable."

"She was probably drunk," Heero quipped. "It was… festive dancing, there are different kinds, you know."

"Why?" Duo sank down cross-legged before his Keeper and got comfortable.

"For the occasion," Heero answered, but didn't elaborate. That was something Duo absolutely couldn't stand about his Keeper. Heero's idea of a conversation was short and sweet, and if you wanted to learn anything from him, it had to be a watch and see situation. A long beat of silence passed between them, Duo staring intently at Heero for more information, Heero, his back leaning against the tree and his eyes closed, continued to say nothing more. His heavy lashes fluttered against his cheeks once as the wind pushed the boughs above just enough to put a heavy ray of sunlight on his face.

"You really hate to talk, don't you?" Duo asked as he bit back his frustration.

"I don't see the point in prattling on."

"I want to know why dancing has to have occasions."

"You're just going to have to judge it for yourself, and then learn why."

"You're not even going to give me a warning first?"

"It's dancing, Duo. It's not warfare."

"Heh, you weren't the one being slung around the middle of the town square," Duo groused before slouching his upper body forward, his arms resting in his lap. The only answer he received was the tiniest pull of Heero's lips.

"Well," Duo grunted as he rose. He paused to stretch his arms high above his head and yawn grandly. "I think I'm going to go explore."

"Don't go far," Heero answered with a stern clip to his voice. "And don't go into the woods."

"What? Why not?" Duo asked in a disgruntled tone.

"You don't know what might be out there."

"I'm not afraid of what's out there," Duo scoffed as he began to walk away. "I just want to go by the creek."

"Just keep your head up and your eyes open," Heero warned. "You see anything funny, you head back this way, do you understand me?" When silence answered him, he opened his eyes and watched the other walk away from him. "Duo? Do you understand me?" he asked again in a firmer tone.

"Yes!" Duo cried out in exasperation. "See danger, run away from it and live another day!"

"Don't go too far and don't stay away for too long, Cathy's preparing lunch."

"I swear, you humans eat like pigs," Duo grunted to himself as he doubled his resolve and began to walk away from his Keeper at a speedier clip.

"I heard that," Heero's voice floated back to him.

"I heard that," Duo murmured again, his tone just a breath away from a whisper. The day was starting to get too warm, and the clothing he was wearing had made him break out into a fine sheen of sweat. When the path gently sloped down towards the forest at a soft left turn, Duo took the opportunity to remove his linen top.

"AHH," he cried out in a mixture of exasperation and relief once the cooler air of the forest struck his overheated skin. "How can they _stand_ this?!" A bird called above his head and burst into wing as Duo spun the pale colored shirt in his left hand. He continued to walk along, closing his eyes and inhaling the fresh scent deeply. What was that Heero had said to him? Not too far? Run from danger?

The sound of running water drew his attention from his thoughts and he paused at the edge of the sparse forest. The river was still running hard from the spring thaw that continued on up in the mountains to their north. The water was eager to get along its way, bouncing along smooth stones that jutted out from the turbulent waters surface. Sparkles danced from the sunlight that washed this peaceful place in its warm glow.

"Wow," Duo whispered as the shirt fell from his fingers. It pooled onto a patch of tall grass as he walked to the edge. "I wish I knew this place existed before," he said as he turned his gaze upstream, and then down. A hidden oasis within the land of man. With a grin, Duo moved to sit upon a sun warmed rock, and began to finish undressing.

* * *

"I don't know where he is," Heero answered without opening his eyes. Judging from the footsteps, it was Trowa.

"That's fine," the tall archer answered as he sank to one knee by Heero's side. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll live," Heero answered. Together, they sat in a long contemplative silence, seeming to have a conversation that needed no words or gestures. Heero opened his eyes slowly and gazed up to Trowa, who seemed to give him a tiny nod before Cathy's voice broke the peace.

"Guys, it's almost time to eat!"

Turning, Trowa addressed his sister over his shoulder. "I need to gather Duo."

"He's coming," she answered, pointing towards the path. Trowa turned to look and then rose as the boisterous youth came towards them. A large smile painted his face and his amethyst eyes danced.

"That river is amazing," Duo grinned. "Need help, Heero?"

Without a word, Heero reached behind him to brace his palms against the rough bark of the tree, and with a determined grunt, he pushed himself slowly until his hips were off the ground. Trowa watched, waiting, as the Keeper drew one leg beneath him for leverage as he slowly rose. With a pained cry, and a sharp shake of his head when hands came out to assist him, he finally stood on his own two feet.

"Atta boy, Heero," Duo said gently.

"You better lean on one of us, if Cathy sees you walking by yourself, it will be all of our hides tanning by the fire tonight," Trowa said.

"Yeah," Heero answered, more out of distraction of the pain that flared up in his body than to simply answer. He reached out, putting his arm on Duo's shoulder and leaning into it when Duo's arm wound around his waist.

"Ready?" Duo murmured.

"Let's go," Heero answered.

"I was thinking out there," Duo said. "About our conversation at breakfast, how you're worried about Zechs and all…"

"Yeah?" Trowa's voice went up a sharp octave; this clearly was a subject he had no interest in rehashing.

Duo grinned at the tone; wounded pride, but then grew serious. "I think Cathy's right. Maybe if we show up there, knowing who'll be there, it will just prove to them that they can't push us around." He shrugged his free shoulder as their feet whispered through the eager spring grass.

"Maybe," Trowa agreed. "But I just don't trust him. He's a warrior, we are simple peasants. We just want to live our lives in peace. He'd not have it that way. He wants to turn the entire Kingdom into a barbarian's hell."

"It can't be that bad," Heero said as he turned his face to gauge Trowa's reaction.

"He's been corrupted by the Marquis. Treize Khushrenada. There's no good in that man."

"We've heard his name, even in our kingdom," Heero said. As they approached the house, Trowa slipped his arm around Heero's waist, and when the door was opened, Cathy greeted them with a warm and friendly smile. That warmth made Duo's heart tingle and he felt a surge of protectiveness. This was no friend standing before them, beckoning them to come in and eat. No, she was family, and you took care of family. After all these siblings had done to protect them, and feed them, it was apparent to the young unicorn that they, too, felt the same way.

* * *

"Alright," Cathy said. "I'm not the best dancer but let me show you what I _do_ know." She took Quatre's hand in hers. "Let's see, your hand goes on my waist, just like so… right. And now, I place my free hand on your shoulder and we move in a square."

Duo, sitting by the fireplace, slowly stretched out on his side to watch. His head propped up onto his hand, he simply grinned as Cathy explained the mundane routine of the steps, counting them out in a "One, two three… one two… ow, no, it's okay Quatre. Let's try again."

Heero grunted as he and Trowa sat in chairs by the fire, watching with veiled amusement.

"I thought unicorns were supposed to be graceful," Trowa interjected when Quatre once again stepped on Cathy's foot. Cerulean eyes shot a nasty look at the archer, who in turn, continued to gaze into their depths with an overabundant air of innocence.

"Don't mind Trowa," Cathy said. "You're new at this and still healing." She shot her brother a nasty look as she continued to guide Quatre around the kitchen. "Duo, you're next!"

"Over my dead body," Duo grumbled.

"That can be arranged," Heero murmured to him, much to Trowa's surprised amusement. Duo glowered at the two and then propped his cheek once more upon his palm.

"Trowa, why don't you show Duo the steps?" Cathy insisted as she and Quatre began to move about their small personal space with a bit more grace.

Silently, Trowa rose and walked to the fireplace. He studied Duo for a long moment and realized that the braided youth had no desire to rise, so he reached his hand down, opening and closing his fingers in a silent command to rise.

"Good luck," Heero said. "He's… stubborn."

Duo's grin flashed up as he gazed into the Archer's face. "I'm stubborn," he said with a smirk.

"So am I," Trowa said. With practiced ease, his beckoning hand turned into a vice-like grip much to Duo's surprise, and he quickly snatched the slender wrist. Before the unicorn could argue, he was pulled to his feet and away from the fireplace.

"Alright, you're male, so you lead."

"Why do males lead?"

"That's the way it's supposed to be. Men lead."

"Huh, you haven't met a female from my tribe," Duo said. "Do what they say or get a kick. Or a jab. Or shoved off some tall cliff."

"Hilde isn't that bad," Quatre chided him gently as he and Cathy really got into the swing of things. With each turn, they alternated which shoulder to look over, and smiles took over their faces like radiant beams of summer sun. Cathy even began to laugh a little.

"Trowa, you'll have to play the flute for us when you're finished with Duo, then I'll dance with Duo while you play!"

Trowa answered with a noncommittal grunt as he positioned Duo before him. He wasn't keen on letting anyone lead him in a slow dance, especially someone much shorter than he, but it needed to be done. He was already looking forward to his first dance with the beautiful blond. Inhaling deeply through his nose, he put Duo's hand upon his hip.

"Hey hey hey, watch it there, pal," Duo answered quickly as he tried to back away. Rolling his eyes to the ceiling for a brief moment, Trowa simply shook his head.

"No, since you're leading, this is where your hand will go." Once again, he placed Duo's right palm against his hip, and then put his hand upon Duo's shoulder. "Hold my hand."

"Hm," Duo grumbled as he reached out to take Trowa's hand. Together, they stood in silence, awkwardly looking at one another.

"You… move. No, not backwards! Wait, no, Duo… hang on a moment. No, watch Catherine and Quatre, see how they're moving?"

"Yeah…"

"We do that."

"Alright, I think I've got this. Stop smirking, Heero, this isn't funny," Duo grumbled.

"Do you want us out of the way so you can have the floor?" Cathy asked.

"That would probably be a good idea," Trowa said as he and Duo collided into one another. "My fault… I'm used to leading."

"Well, why don't you lead then?"

"Because I already know how to dance and men lead the ladies."

"That lady led me in that village!"

"She was drunk," Heero interjected. "Quit stalling."

"Slowly… slowly," Trowa said as Duo began to move them in a small square, his movements stilted.

"There we go!" Catherine cheered as she took a seat next to Heero. Trowa began to let Duo lead him around, giving him more instruction as they circled the floor. It wasn't until it was already happening that he realized Duo was dancing them out the front door. "No! We don't _leave_ the house, we just dance in a circle!" the helpless Archer cried out as they exited the home. Heero leaned forward and put his face in his hands to fight the overwhelming urge to laugh. Moments later, Trowa returned to the stone cabin.

"He bolted…"

"Wow, Duo _really_ hates to dance," Quatre mused softly.

* * *

"Do you think we'll ever go home?" Duo whispered as he bedded down next to Heero. Cathy had washed their bedding that morning and it had spent the day in the cool breeze capturing the sweet smells of the budding spring. Trowa had fetched fresh straw for them to lay their blankets upon, to which Heero was extremely grateful. His wounds were indeed healing, but they were taking their merry time about doing it.

"I don't know," Heero whispered back. "I thought you liked it here."

"I do," Duo said as he eased down onto his side to face his Keeper. "Do you think we could live in this forest?"

Heero was quiet for a long moment while he contemplated that, but finally, he shook his head slowly. "No, not while there are people who know who and what we are, and _where_ we are," he answered. "It's best for you to stay in that form, you'll live longer."

Duo pulled his pillow to him and grew comfortable as he continued to gaze at Heero's side profile. "What about the ball?"

"Quatre's right. We should be diplomatic; however, Trowa is right too. There is no win in this situation for us. I think Catherine and Trowa should go, I think we should remain behind."

"They'll be looking for us," Duo said with a frown. "Treating us like criminals just because of what we are!"

"Keep your voice down," Heero grumbled quietly.

Duo let out an explosive sigh and moved closer to Heero's side to share his body warmth. "Night," he muttered sullenly.

"Goodnight," Heero breathed in return.

A familiar scent roused Duo from his sleep and he sat up slowly. Moonlight poured in through the cracks of the barn wood, casting beams of light to lie in a slatted pattern upon the floor. Frowning, he sat in silence for a long moment before carefully rising. He had been draped over Heero's chest, his cheek resting against his sleeping Keeper's shoulder. Careful not to rouse him now, he slipped from the stall and tiptoed to the barn door. One quick look over his shoulder to confirm that Heero still slept, and he opened the large barn door enough to ease his slender body through.

The ground was hard from the night's cold, biting into the bare soles of his feet, but he paid it no mind. A light wind ruffled his shaggy bangs, bringing to him the scent once again, stronger and closer this time and a sinking sensation drug Duo's heart down towards his knees. He knew that smell; the stranger in the silver mask was back.

"Go away," Duo hissed.

"That's not very kind of you," Zechs answered from a shadow. "In that form, your sense of smell is amazing."

"I said go away," Duo whispered again, his voice dropping to a dark and husky tone as he moved further away from the barn. Zechs moved with him, coming to stand at the edge of shadow where the torch light of the sconce at the back door flickered and pushed it back. The warm glow of the light sent slivers of luminescence to caress the sharp edges of the mask.

"I take it your family got an invitation to Relena's coronation ball," the Marquis said as if it were the middle of the day and he and Duo were having a pleasant conversation as friends. "She'll be so disappointed if you don't show."

"She has no idea of who we are, and we plan to keep it that way," Duo answered. He stood stock still as the tall blond slowly began to pace, only his amethyst eyes trekking his every move.

"You're right," Zechs answered after a long pause. "You're very right. But that doesn't mean that _I_ don't know. Nor Treize. He's eager to meet you." A wry smile tugged the corners of his full lips and Duo felt his hackles rise.

"I don't care what that mad man wants," Duo said. "He's nothing to us." He was pleased to see the smile slip from Zech's face. It was almost as if he had had the pleasure of reaching out and physically slapping it away.

"I'd be very careful with my words," Zech's said. "Very careful." Turning, he stalked towards the unicorn, who only stood his ground defiantly. "Treize is a man worthy of respect and you _will_ give it to him."

"Over my dead body," Duo said, a smile tugging the corners of his lips this time. "But that's what you want, isn't it? Well, then, go ahead and do it, but oh… that would be murder then, wouldn't it? I'm no use to you in this form and I hate to tell you pal, but I can remain just how I am _years_ after you've died without blinking an eye, or even aging a day. So go ahead, do what you will, but you won't be getting away with it."

Lighting flashed in the Marquis's hand and the cold blade with the bitter sharp edge nestled against Duo's throat. Duo held still, his mouth pulled into a grimace, but his eyes glittering and defiant. "Go ahead," he repeated to the tall blond. "There's nothing here to stop you."

"Leave him alone." It was Heero's voice that broke the standoff.

"Wounded Keeper," Zechs said, his eyes still on Duo, his hand steady on the hilt of his sword.

"Wounded or not, I'm still his Keeper, and you are threatening my charge." Pushing his back from the barn door, Heero took several deliberate steps forward. "Lower your sword."

"If I don't?"

"Then you'll get a knife through your throat," Catherine's voice spoke up from the doorway. "Or an arrow through the eye."

"So I see I'm outnumbered, then." Slowly, Zechs removed the blade from Duo's throat and made a show of hilting it. "Perhaps then, we shall speak at the ball."

"We will," Quatre answered as he wormed his way between Trowa, who stood with his arrow ready to let fly, and the doorway. "But it won't be with you. You can't push us to your will, and you will not take our lives. We will find a peaceful solution to this."

"Peace," Zechs whispered softly. "Sometimes by finding peace, you must have battle. You must have conquests and victory."

"Peace is victory," Quatre said as he moved, also barefoot, to stand by Duo's side. "You will not have us; we have the right to live, just as you do."

Giving a light, even good-natured scoff at Quatre, Zechs turned his head to Cathy, and then gave her a deep bow before adjusting his gloves. "Then I bid you all a goodnight, and until I see you next time…"

"Get out of here," Duo growled, his voice low and dangerous. Dismissing their unwanted guest, he turned to Quatre and gave him a soft nod before moving to Heero's side. "C'mon, let's go back to bed, nothing to see here," he said as he put his arm around his Keeper's waist.

* * *

"I told you this was a bad idea," Trowa said as he cut thick slices of bacon from the main slab. They were surprised at sunrise that morning when Sally and Noin showed up, bustling with energy and good cheer. Sally was pleased with Heero's recovery and encouraged him to get out and move more, much to Duo's good natured objections to it. Heero, nodding in his own stoic manner, agreed and promised to do so. Now, the women were busy gathering items to make bread while Trowa cut the meat and listened to them talk about the ball.

"Don't be silly, Trowa," Sally said. "The ball will be fun, and you with the long legs, why, I bet you'll be the most graceful dancer there!" She let out a soft laugh as the archer lowered his head, effectively hiding his eyes shyly behind his long shock of hair, although the faint tinge of blush rising on his cheeks from the praise wasn't lost on the girls.

"We've taught Duo and Quatre how to dance," Cathy said.

"You didn't!" Noin answered with a laugh as she cracked eggs into a bowl. "Duo! I get first dance!"

"Noooooo!" he called back while he stood before the wooden trough that served to wash the dishes. He was cleaning the silverware they would use that morning.

"I get second!" Sally teased and then elbowed Trowa gently when the protestations grew louder.

"I think Heero will be ready to dance by then," Cathy said as she wiped her hands on her apron. "And I get first dance, Heero!"

Heero didn't answer as he slowly sharpened a knife by the fire. He was too swept up in the energy of the moment. This was what family was; even with Keepers and their charges, but he had never truly known it for himself. Being an orphan was a lonely life, but Wufei had seen to all of his needs. All but this. The life budding around him made his heart ache with a joy he had never known. Lifting his eyes, he watched as Duo and Quatre washed and dried the clay plates, talking amongst themselves quietly.

"Heero? Don't I get your first dance?" Cathy asked as she began to mix the dough for their morning bread.

With a grunt, he came back to himself, lifted his eyes to meet hers, and gazed at her for a long while. Then, without missing a beat, and with a tiny smile to boot, he answered. "Of course, but remember, _I_ lead."

She sputtered indignantly over her brother's sudden, hearty laughter.


End file.
